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504 Gateway Timeout

The HTTP 504 Gateway Timeout status code indicates that a gateway or proxy did not receive a response from an upstream server within the expected time.

Published 16 Jul 2026 · HTTP Status Code

What is HTTP 504 Gateway Timeout?

The 504 Gateway Timeout response occurs when a server acting as a gateway waits too long for another server to respond.

It is common in distributed systems where multiple services communicate with each other.

Common Causes

  • Slow backend services
  • Database performance issues
  • Network latency
  • Incorrect timeout configuration
  • Overloaded services

DevOps Troubleshooting

  • Check application performance
  • Review proxy timeout settings
  • Inspect infrastructure metrics
  • Analyse distributed tracing data

Summary

The 504 Gateway Timeout response indicates that an upstream service failed to respond quickly enough.