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cpp-httplib/docs-src/pages/en/cookbook/c12-timeouts.md
2026-04-10 18:16:02 -04:00

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---
title: "C12. Set Timeouts"
order: 12
status: "draft"
---
The client has three kinds of timeouts, each set independently.
| Kind | API | Default | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Connection | `set_connection_timeout` | 300s | Time to wait for the TCP connection to establish |
| Read | `set_read_timeout` | 300s | Time to wait for a single `recv` when receiving the response |
| Write | `set_write_timeout` | 5s | Time to wait for a single `send` when sending the request |
## Basic usage
```cpp
httplib::Client cli("http://localhost:8080");
cli.set_connection_timeout(5, 0); // 5 seconds
cli.set_read_timeout(10, 0); // 10 seconds
cli.set_write_timeout(10, 0); // 10 seconds
auto res = cli.Get("/api/data");
```
Pass seconds and microseconds as two arguments. If you don't need the sub-second part, you can omit the second argument.
## Use `std::chrono`
There's also an overload that takes a `std::chrono` duration directly. It's easier to read — recommended.
```cpp
using namespace std::chrono_literals;
cli.set_connection_timeout(5s);
cli.set_read_timeout(10s);
cli.set_write_timeout(500ms);
```
## Watch out for the long 300s default
Connection and read timeouts default to **300 seconds (5 minutes)**. If the server hangs, you'll be waiting five minutes by default. Shorter values are usually a better idea.
```cpp
cli.set_connection_timeout(3s);
cli.set_read_timeout(10s);
```
> **Warning:** The read timeout covers a single receive call — not the whole request. If data keeps trickling in during a large download, the request can take half an hour without ever hitting the timeout. To cap the total request time, use C13. Set an Overall Timeout.