How to handle Zapier’s 10 second timeout limit?

If you encounter a scenario where Zapier’s 10-second time-out limit is insufficient to process a large file, you have two Job Execution Modes to choose from:

1. Async (Up to 35 sec): This mode is suitable for files that can be processed within 35 seconds.

2. Async for Large Docs: This mode is ideal for files that may take up to 5 minutes to process. However, when utilizing this option, you need to include an additional PDF.co action called “Job Check” to check the status of the job and determine if it has completed.

Your workflow will follow this structure:

1. Trigger step (e.g., an event that initiates the workflow).
2. PDF.co action step with “Async for Large Docs” selected.
3. PDF.co Job Check action step.

If your file requires more than 5 minutes to process, it is recommended to insert a delay step before the “Job Check” step. This delay allows sufficient time for the processing to complete. We have provided a comprehensive step-by-step guide to assist you in setting up this workflow. You can find the guide here.

You can take advantage of the "Async Job Check Interval" feature to customize how frequently the job is checked. This interval is specified in seconds, with a default setting of 5 seconds. The feature is enabled by default, providing near-instantaneous results for small files.

For smaller files where you require quick results, you can set the interval to a lower value. Conversely, for larger files, setting a higher interval is more suitable. It’s important to note that every job check incurs a cost of 2 credits per call.

To illustrate, let’s consider an example: if you have a large file and set the interval to 15 seconds, you will be charged 2 credits every 15 seconds for checking the job’s completion status. Please keep in mind that the maximum allowed value for the job check interval is 25 seconds.