Action timed out – An action in the flow exceeded its execution time.

Power Automate allows users to automate workflows using various actions. However, during execution, you may encounter the following error:

“Action timed out – An action in the flow exceeded its execution time.”

This error occurs when a specific action takes too long to complete and exceeds the allowed execution time, causing the flow to fail.

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2. Causes of “Action Timed Out” Error

Several factors can cause an action to time out in Power Automate:

1. Long-running Operations – Some actions (e.g., HTTP requests, database queries, loops) take too long to respond.
2. Service Timeouts – The connected service (e.g., SharePoint, Dataverse, SQL Server) is slow or unresponsive.
3. Power Automate Limits – Each action has a maximum execution time (typically 120 seconds).
4. Large Data Processing – If an action processes large amounts of data, it can exceed the time limit.
5. Infinite Loops – Misconfigured loops may cause endless execution, leading to timeouts.
6. API Rate Limits – External services may enforce request rate limits, delaying responses.
7. Poor Network Connection – If using on-premises data gateways, network issues can cause slow execution.
8. Concurrency or Locking Issues – If multiple flows are trying to update the same data, actions may be delayed.
9. Unresponsive APIs or Services – If an external API does not respond within the expected time, the action times out.
10. Throttling by Microsoft – Power Automate applies throttling rules to prevent excessive usage of resources.

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3. Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

Step 1: Identify the Timed-Out Action

1. Open Power Automate (https://flow.microsoft.com).
2. Navigate to My Flows and select the affected flow.
3. Click Run History and locate the failed run.
4. Expand the failed action to see the error details.

Solution:

• Identify which action is timing out and note the duration it ran before failing.

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Step 2: Reduce Execution Time

If an action is taking too long, try to optimize it.

Solution:

• Use filters before fetching data to reduce the number of records.
• Optimize queries for SQL, SharePoint, or Dataverse to retrieve only necessary data.
• Avoid unnecessary loops and apply actions directly when possible.
• Use parallel processing where applicable to speed up execution.

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Step 3: Increase Timeout Duration (Where Possible)

Some actions allow custom timeout settings (e.g., HTTP requests).

Solution:

1. Open the timed-out action.
2. Expand Settings (Click the three dots …).
3. Check if there is an option to set a timeout.
4. Increase the timeout duration if allowed (e.g., PT5M for 5 minutes).

Example Timeout Setting for HTTP Action:

PT5M (5 minutes)

Example Timeout Setting for SQL Queries:

• Set a shorter timeout in your SQL query using SET LOCK_TIMEOUT or SET QUERY_GOVERNOR_COST_LIMIT.

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Step 4: Retry the Action with Delays

If the action is failing due to temporary service unavailability, enable retries.

Solution:

1. Open the timed-out action.
2. Click … (More options) > Settings.
3. Under Retry Policy, select Exponential Interval or Fixed Interval.
4. Set Retry Count (e.g., 3) and Retry Interval (e.g., 30 seconds).

Example Retry Settings:

Retry Count	Interval	Strategy
3	30 sec	Fixed Interval
5	1 min	Exponential Interval

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Step 5: Reduce Data Size for Processing

If an action is processing too much data, split it into smaller batches.

Solution:

• Use pagination for large datasets in Power Automate.
• Use “Select” or “Filter array” actions to reduce unnecessary data.
• If processing SharePoint items, use OData queries to retrieve only required records.

Example OData Query (For SharePoint):

?$top=100&$filter=Status eq 'Active'

Example for Dataverse (PowerApps Common Data Service):

?$select=name,accountid&$top=50

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Step 6: Optimize Loops

Apply to Each and Do Until loops can slow down execution if they process too many items.

Solution:

• Use “Parallelism” in loop settings to process multiple items simultaneously.
• Avoid looping over unnecessary records by filtering them first.

How to Enable Parallelism in Loops:

1. Click on Apply to Each action.
2. Click … (More options) > Settings.
3. Enable Concurrency Control and set a Degree of Parallelism (e.g., 10).

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Step 7: Avoid Infinite Loops

If an action depends on itself (e.g., updating the same record that triggers the flow), it may create an infinite loop.

Solution:

• Add a Trigger Condition to stop unnecessary re-executions.
• Use variables to track the execution count and exit the loop when necessary.

Example Trigger Condition to Prevent Infinite Loops:

@equals(triggerBody()?['Status'], 'Pending')

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Step 8: Check API Rate Limits and Throttling

External APIs may limit the number of requests, causing delays.

Solution:

• Check the API rate limits in its documentation.
• Use Retry Policies with delays to avoid hitting limits.
• If possible, use batch processing instead of multiple individual API calls.

Example: Delay Between API Calls to Prevent Throttling
Use a “Delay” action after an API request:

30 seconds

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Step 9: Ensure the Service Is Available

If the connected service (SharePoint, SQL, Dataverse) is slow or unresponsive, the action may time out.

Solution:

• Check Microsoft Service Status: https://status.office365.com
• If the service is experiencing downtime, wait until Microsoft resolves the issue.

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Step 10: Use Power Automate Premium Plan for Higher Limits

Some execution time limits depend on your Power Automate plan.

Plan	Max Execution Time
Free Plan	120 seconds per action
Standard Plan	5 minutes per action
Premium Plan	30 minutes per action

Solution:

• If your action requires long execution times, consider upgrading to a Premium Plan.

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4. Preventative Measures

To prevent “Action Timed Out” errors in the future:

✔ Optimize queries to retrieve only required data.
✔ Increase timeout settings for applicable actions.
✔ Enable retries for actions that may fail due to network issues.
✔ Use parallel processing in loops for faster execution.
✔ Check API rate limits and avoid sending too many requests.
✔ Use trigger conditions to prevent infinite loops.
✔ Monitor Microsoft service status before troubleshooting.
✔ Upgrade Power Automate plan if higher execution limits are needed.