Sume Format run timeout: your client stops, the run keeps billing
A client timeout on a Sume Format run does not cancel it. The run continues and bills. Store the run id, read expires_at, and call cancel_url to stop it.
A timeout in your own HTTP client or in subscribeFormatRun does not cancel a Sume Format run. The run continues and still bills, so store the run id from the create receipt and decide what to do after the timeout. The real ceiling is expires_at on the receipt: 90 minutes from created_at, or earlier if the run has gone quiet. The TypeScript helper's default timeout is 20 minutes. Sources: Format runs and results, Waiting for runs and Formats cookbook, read 2026-10-06.
What are the clocks?
Three clocks are easy to mix up.
| Clock | Value | Who owns it |
|---|---|---|
subscribeFormatRun default timeout | 20 minutes | Your client |
waitForRun default timeout | 10 minutes | Your client |
expires_at on a non-terminal receipt | 90 minutes from created_at, or earlier when silent | Sume force-finalizes the run as failed |
What should I do after a timeout?
Read status_url again with the stored id, not a new create. If you decided to give up, call cancel_url; the cancel receipt tells you whether it had effect. If the run is still working, keep waiting up to expires_at instead of inventing your own limit.
- Use the same
idempotency_keyon a retry of the create, so you get a 200 replay and not a second run. - Prefer
communication.webhook_urlfor long video Formats, so no client has to sit open. - Raise the helper timeout for long-form video.
Sources
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