How to fix "Your request timed out. Please retry the request" in WordPress ?

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You may have encountered the following error message when you are uploading an image, installing a Theme or doing something as simple as trying to edit your post in your WordPress admin.

Your request timed out. Please retry the request

This happens when your server takes too long to respond or complete a task that you are trying to accomplish.

Possible causes

1. Your server do not have not enough resources to perform that task that you have executed.
2. There could be a script somewhere that is written badly, which results in loops and causing the server to terminate it before completing.
3. There could be a script making request to an external remote server, which takes too long to respond.
4. Your PHP values max_input_time (Maximum amount of time each script may spend parsing request data) and max_execution_time (Maximum execution time of each script, in seconds) could have been set too low.

Troubleshooting

The following are some troubleshooting suggestions.

Contact your Web Hosting Company

Contact your web hosting company for help. They should be able to provide some useful information regarding your issue. They may point to you a file that is causing this issue.

Ask your web hosting company to increase your PHP max_input_time and max_execution_time to allow you to complete your task.

Disable Plugins

1. Disable your plugins and retry your task.
   
   • If this works, you may have a plugin that's taking too long to execute it's code, or you may have not enough resources to run a large collection of plugins.
2. Disable one plugin at a time and retry your task. This is to eliminate any plugin that's taking too long to execute it's code.

Increase your PHP values max_input_time and max_execution_time

1. You can try increasing your PHP max_input_time and max_execution_time to a greater value.
2. Editing php.ini 
   • If you have access to php.ini file on your web server.  You can access it using your FTP program.
   • Open it up and search for max_input_time set it to 60
     

     max_input_time = 60;
     		

   • Search for max_execution_time and set it to 60
     

     max_execution_time = 60;
     		

   • Try setting to a high value, if you are still unable to complete your task.
3. Editing .htaccess file
   • Use your FTP program and login to your server.
   • Find your .htaccess file which is located at the same level as wp-config.php
   • Make a backup copy before attempting to edit it.
   • Open it and add the following codes at the end of the file.
     

     php_value max_input_time 60
     php_value max_execution_time 60
     		

   • Save and re-load your WordPress admin.
   • Proceed to try out your task.
   • Increase the values, if it still does not work.

4. Contact your Web Hosting company for help, if you do not have access to .htaccess file or php.ini

External Resources.

• Common WordPress Errors