During a User Journey test, if a page is unable to fully render after 30 seconds, the test will fail and display the following message:
Page loading timed out. This often occurs because one or more files were still loading after 30 seconds – please check for other errors
This is because one or more elements (resources that make up the page, such as images, fonts, JavaScript files, etc.) have failed to complete loading within the 30 second timeout limit. In the screenshot automatically captured during the failure, the page may look like it has completed loading, but there maybe non-visible elements, such as a marketing or analytical plugins, that have failed to load. This may be a nonessential element that does not stop website visitors from completing their desired action (e.g. it doesn’t stop them from adding a product to the basket), but if the element is for a third-party tool that you are paying for (e.g. to track customers or conversion) and it’s not working, you could be wasting your money as it is not collecting the data you are paying for.
Identify Slow Elements
To identify any slow elements that are causing the timeout, go to the failing result and view the Waterfall. An element that is flagged as “No Response” is likely the element that is causing the problem.
Unfortunately we can only detect slow loading elements if the initial request has completed before the timeout, otherwise we have no record of it. If this is the case, open the website in your browser and use the network inspector tool to watch the page load. Wait for it to fully load (this may take over a minute), any elements that take longer than 30 seconds to load are ones that will cause the Journey to fail.
Solutions
The best solution is to contact the owner of the element and let them know it’s not working. Hopefully they can resolve the issue. Or this could be a good opportunity to review if the element is even needed.
If the element is needed, and it can’t be fixed, there are workarounds that can be used until the element is stable:
- Adjust the Page Load Strategy which can allow the Journey to continue before all elements are downloaded. We will still fail the test if the Journey is unable to complete an action, but we will no longer be able to warn you about potential issues with elements.
- Add the element to the Block List so the Journey avoids loading it. This is not recommended because if the element later causes genuine issues for your customers, we are unable to detect the problem.
