Query timeout errors in Canopy Insights occur when a report or dashboard cannot finish processing within system time or resource limits. This article explains the most common causes, how to troubleshoot them, and what limitations to be aware of when working with large datasets.
Why This Matters
Timeout errors can block access to critical insights, especially when reviewing firm performance or client data. Knowing how to structure and optimize your reports helps you get results faster and avoid unnecessary rework.
Table of Contents
Common Causes of Query Timeout Errors
Query timeouts are most often caused by how much data is being queried and how the query is structured.
Common causes include:
Large or Complex Datasets
Queries that pull all-time data, span many clients, or rely heavily on joins, filters, or subqueries take longer to process.Unoptimized Filtering
Applying filters too late, using too few filters, or not filtering by indexed fields (such as client or date) increases execution time.Overly Broad Date Ranges
Queries that span long timeframes—months or years—require significantly more data to be scanned.Inefficient Field Usage
Not querying partitioned fields (such as date fields) or using incorrect attributes can reduce performance.Platform or Infrastructure Factors
Temporary service slowdowns, system updates, or shared resource usage in a multi-tenant environment can contribute to timeouts.
How to Reduce or Resolve Timeout Errors
Follow these best practices to improve report and dashboard performance.
Simplify the Query
Limit date ranges to shorter time periods.
Filter by specific clients, team members, or focused criteria before running the report.
Optimize Filtering
Apply filters as early as possible.
Use indexed or commonly filtered fields (such as client or date).
Remove unnecessary data, duplicate fields, or unused dimensions.
Check for Formula Conflicts
Review formulas for errors, especially when mixing aggregated and non-aggregated fields.
Disable or remove formulas that may be causing conflicts.
Refresh the Dashboard
Save and re-run the report.
Open the dashboard, make no changes, and save to trigger a refresh.
Log Out and Back In
After platform updates or changes, logging out and back into Canopy can resolve residual issues.
Known Platform Limitations
Query timeouts are a known limitation when working with very large or complex datasets in Canopy Insights.
What to expect:
Performance improvements are released regularly.
Logging back in after updates may improve query behavior.
Large-scale, all-time queries may still exceed system limits.
Canopy continues to invest in performance enhancements and query optimizations to reduce resource demands over time.
Summary
Query timeout errors in Canopy Insights are typically caused by large datasets, broad date ranges, or inefficient filtering. By narrowing queries, optimizing filters, and refreshing dashboards, you can significantly reduce timeouts and improve report performance.
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