N8N Task request timed out after 60 seconds

Questions
1

Describe the problem/error/question

The N8N task request has been timing out after 60 seconds for the past week. We’ve tried running a basic no-code node, optimizing our workflows, but nothing has worked.
Is the best solution to restart our instance?

What is the error message (if any)? Task request timed out after 60 seconds

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

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:
3

welcome to the n8n community @netrajosh1
It seems like a systemic thing rather than just your workflow. I’m a bit stuck without the environment info, though—could you send that over so we can help?

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:
4

@netrajosh1 restart the task runner container, not the whole instance — if basic nodes are timing out it’s the runner process that’s stuck. run this quick workflow to confirm your instance itself is healthy:

if that times out too then yeah your task runner is definitely borked, restart just that service with docker restart n8n-task-runner (or whatever your runner container is named) and set N8N_RUNNERS_TASK_TIMEOUT=120 to buy yourself more headroom.

5

This is a Task Runner timeout issue — not a workflow problem.

When n8n can’t find an available task runner to execute your code, it times out. A restart may temporarily help, but it won’t fix the root cause.

Quick fixes:

  • Set N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=true

  • Increase N8N_RUNNERS_TASK_REQUEST_TIMEOUT (default is 20s)

  • Boost N8N_RUNNERS_MAX_CONCURRENCY if you’re running many workflows at once

  • For production: switch from internal to external runner mode — internal mode is explicitly not recommended for production by n8n

:open_book: Full details here: https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/configuration/task-runners/ :gear: All env variables: https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/configuration/environment-variables/task-runners/

Share your n8n version and how you’re hosting it (Docker/npm/cloud?) and we can get more specific.

7

I am seeing the same behavior. The Editor gets stuck even after a restart. Loops that don’t work. Once I have another example, I will share more details.