Issue with “HTTP Request” Node – Connection to Server Closed Unexpectedly

I am encountering an issue while executing a workflow in n8n. The HTTP Request node is failing with the following error message, Has anyone experienced a similar issue or can suggest possible reasons or troubleshooting steps to resolve it?

Describe the problem/error/question

What is the error message (if any)?

Please share your workflow

(Select the nodes on your canvas and use the keyboard shortcuts CMD+C/CTRL+C and CMD+V/CTRL+V to copy and paste the workflow.)

Share the output returned by the last node

“The connection to the server was closed unexpectedly, perhaps it is offline. You can retry the request immediately or wait and retry later.”

Information on your n8n setup

  • n8n version:
  • Database (default: SQLite):
  • n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main):
  • Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app):
  • Operating system:

The “connection to server was closed unexpectedly” error typically indicates network connectivity issues or server-side problems. Here are some immediate troubleshooting steps:

• **Check your network connection** - Test the same API endpoint using curl or Postman to verify it’s accessible

• **Increase timeout settings** - In your HTTP Request node, go to Options > Timeout and set a higher value (e.g., 30000ms)

• **Enable retry logic** - Turn on “Retry on Fail” with 2-3 attempts and a 5-second wait between tries

• **Verify the target server** - Ensure the external service isn’t experiencing downtime or rate limiting

Based on similar issues in the [n8n GitHub repository]([self_hosted] HTTP Request node timeouts after ~2m but timeout is set to 10m · Issue #14915 · n8n-io/n8n · GitHub), this can also happen with slow external services even when timeout is properly configured. If the problem persists, try testing with a smaller payload or check if the external service has any specific requirements for connection handling.