Fix Claude Skill Timeout Errors (2026)

name: full-pipeline — Run the pipeline step by step:

Step 1: Lint (fast, ~10s)

npm run lint

Step 2: Test (medium, ~60s)

npm test -- --bail

Step 3: Build (slow, ~120s)

npm run build

Step 4: Deploy (medium, ~30s)

npm run deploy


Each step runs as a separate Bash call with its own timeout window.
## Fix 3: Dynamic Context Injection Timeout
The `!`command`` syntax has its own timeout behavior. Commands that take too long cause the skill to load with incomplete context:
```yaml
# RISKY: slow command in dynamic injection
- Full git log: !`git log --all --oneline`
# FIXED: limit output and add timeout
- Recent commits: !`git log --oneline -20`
# ALTERNATIVE: let Claude run the command after loading
# Instead of !`command`, use instructions:
## Step 1
Run `git log --oneline -20` to see recent commits.

When dynamic injection is slow, move the command to the skill body as an instruction for Claude to execute. This gives Claude control over the timeout and allows retries.

Fix 4: Subagent Timeout

Skills with context: fork run in a subagent with limited time:

# If the subagent times out, reduce its workload:
---
name: analyze-codebase
context: fork
agent: Explore
---
# Analyze Codebase
Focus on the most critical files only.
Do NOT attempt to read every file in the repository.
1. Read the top-level directory structure
2. Read the main entry point (src/index.ts or similar)
3. Read the 5 most recently modified files
4. Summarize architecture based on these files only

Keep subagent tasks focused and bounded. An Explore agent that tries to read 500 files will timeout.

Fix 5: Effort Level Tuning

The effort field affects how much time Claude spends reasoning, not command execution time. But it can indirectly affect timeout behavior:

# High effort = more reasoning time per step
effort: high
# Max effort = maximum reasoning, useful for complex multi-step skills
effort: max

If a skill frequently times out due to complex reasoning (not slow commands), increase the effort level to give Claude more processing budget.

Common Problems and Fixes

Test suite times out but passes locally: The CI or Claude Code environment may be slower. Add --bail to stop at first failure and --forceExit to prevent hanging processes.

Build times out only on first run: First-time builds download dependencies. Add a prerequisite step: “Run npm install first, then build.”

Timeout only happens after compaction: After compaction, Claude may re-read files or re-run commands that were previously cached in context. Break the skill into smaller, independent steps.

Dynamic injection makes skill load slow: Replace !command`` with explicit instructions in the skill body. The tradeoff: Claude must run the command after loading instead of having the data immediately.

Production Gotchas

There is no global “skill timeout” setting. Timeouts are per-tool: Bash has its own timeout, HTTP requests have theirs, and the overall session has limits. A skill that runs multiple commands effectively gets multiple timeout windows.

The /batch bundled skill handles long operations by spawning parallel agents in worktrees. If your skill does something that takes 10+ minutes (large builds, comprehensive test suites), consider whether /batch would be more appropriate than a custom skill.

Scripts that produce continuous output (e.g., npm test with verbose logging) may not timeout but may exhaust the context window with log output. Add output limits: npm test 2>&1 | tail -100.

Checklist

  • Long commands broken into separate steps
  • Each step has bounded output (pipe to head or tail)
  • Dynamic injection uses fast commands only
  • Scripts include --bail or equivalent fail-fast flags
  • Subagent tasks scoped to specific files, not entire codebase

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