SharePoint took too long to respond to a request

Symptoms

Sharegate displays the following error:

SharePoint took too long to respond to a request.

Error code

Details

This error occurs because the SharePoint server didn't respond to a request sent by Sharegate within the allowed time limit (5 minutes). It is often due to a temporary issue and it generally happens for one of those reasons:

1. The SharePoint server is under too much load from other users.
2. The network is under too much load.
3. The SharePoint server is busy with background tasks (maintenance, back-up, etc.)
4. The request involves information about one or more users and the SharePoint server needs to contact the Active Directory server(s) in order to reply. The Active Directory server(s) take too much time to respond to the SharePoint server's request, which prevents SharePoint from responding in time to Sharegate's request.
5. The error can also occur if there is a proxy server in the network between Sharegate and the SharePoint server. Some proxy servers such as Microsoft Forefront TMG or ISA Server can block requests from Sharegate made to a SharePoint server, when it detects that too many requests are made towards the server.

Solution

Retry the same operation a few minutes later. Since this is often due to temporary problems with the network or the SharePoint server, retrying at a later time might work.

If you have a proxy server in your network, you could either change your proxy server settings or make Sharegate connect directly to the SharePoint server (bypass the proxy).

If the issue persists, contact your SharePoint and network administrator(s).