Timeout Settings
Control how long to wait for partner bids before proceeding with the auction.
What is timeout?
Timeout is the maximum time (in milliseconds) to wait for demand partners to respond with bids.
Why timeout matters
| Timeout | Impact |
|---|---|
| Too short | Miss bids, lower revenue |
| Too long | Slow page, poor UX |
| Just right | Balance of revenue and speed |
Recommended timeouts
| Partner quality | Recommended timeout |
|---|---|
| Fast partners | 800-1000ms |
| Standard | 1000-1500ms |
| Slow partners | 1500-2000ms |
Starting point: 1500ms for most setups.
Where timeouts are configured
Global wrapper timeout
The auction-wide timeout is a wrapper config setting, not a demand-side one:
- Go to Wrapper → Configs
- Set the bid timeout (ms)
- Save, then ship a release from Wrapper → Releases
Per-slot timeouts
Ad slots can carry their own auction_timeout on the Auction tab (Inventory → Ad Slots →
Bidder-side overrides are typically configured in Demand → Prebid on the bidder's config (if the adapter supports it), not at the wrapper level.
Setting timeouts
Wrapper-level
- Wrapper → Configs
- Adjust the bid-timeout value
- Save → Wrapper → Releases → Create Release
Using the AI Assistant
- "Set wrapper bid timeout to 1200ms"
- "Raise the auction timeout on the article_header slot to 1800ms"
Monitoring timeout impact
Check timeout rates
Go to Dashboard → Monetization and break down by bidder:
| Metric | Healthy | Needs attention |
|---|---|---|
| Timeout rate | < 5% | > 15% |
| Avg response time | < timeout | Near timeout |
| Bids received | Consistent | Dropping |
Per-partner analysis
To find which bidders timeout frequently, use Dashboard → Monetization with a breakdown by bidder — Demand → Prebid is a card layout without sortable metric columns, so it's a navigation surface rather than an analytics surface.
Once you've identified a slow bidder, open its seat from Demand → Prebid to tune credentials, tag IDs, or the slot assignments.
Optimizing timeouts
Step 1: Measure current state
- What's your average partner response time?
- Which partners timeout frequently?
- What's your page load impact?
Step 2: Test adjustments
Use experiments to test timeout changes:
- Create experiment
- Control: Current timeout
- Variation: New timeout
- Measure: Revenue and page speed
Step 3: Apply winners
Deploy the timeout that best balances revenue and speed.
Timeout strategies
Aggressive (speed-focused)
Global: 1000ms
Fast partners: 800ms
Slow partners: 1200ms
Best for: Speed-critical sites, mobile-first
Balanced
Global: 1500ms
Fast partners: 1000ms
Slow partners: 1800ms
Best for: Most publishers
Conservative (revenue-focused)
Global: 2000ms
All partners: 2000ms
Best for: High-CPM inventory where every bid matters
Troubleshooting
High timeout rates
| Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
| Timeout too short | Increase timeout |
| Partner is slow | Consider disabling or longer timeout |
| Network issues | Check partner status |
Page speed degraded
| Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
| Timeout too long | Reduce timeout |
| Too many partners | Reduce partner count |
| Slow partners | Disable or optimize |
Revenue dropped after timeout change
If you lowered timeout and revenue dropped:
- You're missing valuable bids
- Increase timeout or use partner-specific overrides
- A/B test to find optimal value
Common questions
What happens to late bids?
Bids received after timeout are ignored for that auction. The partner can still compete in future auctions.
Should all partners have the same timeout?
Not necessarily. Fast partners can have shorter timeouts; slow but valuable partners may warrant longer timeouts.
How do I know the optimal timeout?
Test with experiments:
- Try different values (1000, 1200, 1500, 1800ms)
- Measure revenue and page speed impact
- Choose the best balance for your site