Python requests.get timeout

Introduction

In Python's requests library, there is an option to set a timeout for a GET request. This timeout determines how long the request will wait for a response before raising an error. This is particularly useful when working with APIs that may be slow to respond or unreliable.

Setting timeouts in requests.get

To set a timeout for a GET request in requests, simply pass the timeout parameter to the get method, like so:

import requests

response = requests.get('https://example.com', timeout=5)

In this example, we have set the timeout to 5 seconds. If the server does not respond within 5 seconds, a requests.exceptions.Timeout error will be raised.

Timeouts for different use cases

When deciding on a timeout for your requests.get call, it is important to consider the typical response time for the API you are working with. A shorter timeout may be appropriate for APIs that respond quickly, while a longer timeout may be necessary for APIs that are slower or more unreliable.

Conclusion

Using timeouts in requests.get is a crucial technique for managing API requests in Python. By setting a timeout, you can ensure that your program does not hang indefinitely waiting for a slow or unreliable API to respond.