What does HTTP status code 408 mean?
The 408 Request Timeout status code indicates that the server did not receive the complete request payload from the client within its configured timeout window.
When to use it in APIs
Use when a client establishes a connection but stalls while sending the request body, or fails to complete the request headers in a timely manner.
How it compares to other codes
- 504 Gateway Timeout: Represents a timeout upstream (server-side), whereas 408 is a timeout on the client’s connection stream.
