# What is the default content fetch timeout in the React SDK and can I tighten it?

Asked by sam.frontend on 2026-10-26. Tags: react, configuration, performance.

Testing on a throttled connection I noticed a content fetch hang for what felt
like several seconds before teh fallback kicked in. I would rather it give up
sooner and show the default fast on a bad network.

What timeout does the React SDK use by default, and can I shorten it?

## 1 answer

### Answer from dermot_k (2026-10-27)

The browser plug defaults to a 5000ms fetch timeout, which is what you were
watching wait out. (For reference the Next.js default is lower, 2000ms.) You
change it with `defaultFetchTimeout` at initialization on the provider:

```tsx
<CroctProvider appId="..." defaultFetchTimeout={1500}>
    <App />
</CroctProvider>
```

Pair a shorter timeout with a `fallback` on the fetch, so when it does time out
the region still renders default content instead of nothing. Keep in mind
end-to-end response times are under 90 milliseconds at P95, so the timeout is a
safety net for bad networks, not the normal path. A very tight timeout mostly
changes how fast you give up on the unhappy case.

#### Reply from sam.frontend (2026-10-27)

Dropped it to 1500 with a fallback, the slow-network case shows the default
almost immediately now. Thanks.