The Short Answer

To fix the “Webhook Timeout” error in GitHub, advanced users can try increasing the webhook timeout threshold from 10 seconds to 30 seconds by modifying the repository settings. This can be done by navigating to the repository’s settings, clicking on “Webhooks” under the “Code and automation” section, and adjusting the “Timeout” field.

Why This Error Happens

• Reason 1: The most common cause of the “Webhook Timeout” error is a slow server response time, which can occur when the server takes longer than the default 10-second timeout threshold to respond to the webhook request. For example, if the server is experiencing high traffic or is under heavy load, it may take longer to process the request, resulting in a timeout error.
• Reason 2: An edge case cause of this error is a misconfigured firewall or proxy server, which can block or delay the webhook request, causing it to timeout. This can occur when the firewall or proxy server is not properly configured to allow incoming requests from GitHub.
• Impact: The “Webhook Timeout” error can significantly impact Git integration, causing delivery retries to fail and resulting in delayed or lost updates. For instance, if a developer is trying to push changes to a repository, the timeout error can prevent the changes from being updated, leading to inconsistencies and errors.

Step-by-Step Solutions

Method 1: The Quick Fix

1. Go to Repository settings > Webhooks > Edit (next to the webhook you want to modify)
2. Toggle Timeout to 30 seconds (or a higher value if needed)
3. Refresh the page to apply the changes.

Method 2: The Command Line/Advanced Fix

To increase the webhook timeout threshold using the command line, you can use the GitHub API to update the repository’s webhook configuration. For example, you can use the following curl command to update the timeout threshold to 30 seconds:

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curl -X PATCH \
  https://api.github.com/repos/{owner}/{repo}/hooks/{hook_id} \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer {token}' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"config": {"timeout": 30000}}'

Replace {owner}, {repo}, {hook_id}, and {token} with your actual repository owner, repository name, webhook ID, and personal access token, respectively.

Prevention: How to Stop This Coming Back

To prevent the “Webhook Timeout” error from occurring in the future, it’s essential to:

• Configure your server to respond quickly to webhook requests, aiming for a response time of under 5 seconds.
• Monitor your server’s performance and adjust the webhook timeout threshold as needed.
• Regularly review your firewall and proxy server configurations to ensure they are not blocking or delaying webhook requests.

If You Can’t Fix It…

[!WARNING] If GitHub continues to experience frequent timeouts and you’re unable to resolve the issue, consider switching to GitLab, which handles delivery retry natively without these errors and provides more robust webhook management features.

FAQ

Q: Will I lose data fixing this? A: No, fixing the “Webhook Timeout” error should not result in data loss. However, if you’re experiencing frequent timeouts, it’s essential to review your repository’s history to ensure that all changes have been properly committed and pushed.

Q: Is this a bug in GitHub? A: The “Webhook Timeout” error is not a bug in GitHub, but rather a configuration issue or a result of external factors such as server response time or network connectivity. GitHub has documented the webhook timeout threshold and provides guidelines for configuring and troubleshooting webhooks. As of GitHub version 2026.01, the default webhook timeout threshold is 10 seconds, and users can adjust this value as needed to accommodate their specific use cases.

📚 Continue Learning

Check out our guides on GitHub and Webhook Timeout.