Visitors: reload, check your connection, and retry uploads on a faster network. Site owners: check server request timeouts (e.g. Apache RequestReadTimeout, Nginx client_body_timeout) and upload limits.

Why this happens

Unlike 504 (the server was slow), 408 is about the client side of the conversation being slow or incomplete. Browsers may retry automatically, so it's less often seen by visitors.

How it shows up

  • “408 Request Timeout” page.
  • Uploads fail partway.

What causes it

  • Slow or unstable connection.
  • Large uploads.
  • Aggressive server timeouts.

How to fix it, step by step

  1. Reload and check connectionTry again on a stable network.
  2. Smaller uploadsCompress or split large files.
  3. Site owners: adjust timeoutsReview request read timeouts and reverse-proxy settings.
How to confirm the fix: Requests and uploads complete normally.

Keeping it from coming back

Use chunked/resumable uploads for large files.