ERROR MESSAGE

Unable to connect to the server (transaction aborted: timeout)

CAUSE

The error can occur with objects that have a large number of custom fields that might not have proper database indexes. A timeout indicates that the query is taking too long and is encountering a Salesforce timeout limit. See the list of possible Salesforce limits. This error is not specific to Conga Grid; it also occurs if you run a similar SOQL query in Salesforce.

WHAT TO DO

Potential workarounds are available when working in Conga Grid. However, if you see a performance issue with custom or standard objects with custom fields, you should first determine if you need to add custom indexes to fields that are being sorted or filtered upon. Consider contacting Salesforce support for help with the following:

To improve overall performance in Conga Grid:

  1. Clear any sorting you have applied. By default, Conga Grid ships with no sorting applied to objects. This step alleviates some timeout issues. To remove a sort, click a column header that is sorted until you no longer see the arrow.

  2. Ensure that the Salesforce Pod the running user is on matches the country they are in. If a user is attempting to load resources from an instance of Salesforce in another region, performance degradation can occur.

  3. Reduce the Conga Grid page size to 50 items per page. This is the smallest option available.

  4. Apply a filter on a known indexed field to reduce the total number of records being evaluated. If the field is not indexed, it could slow down performance. If smart filters are also timing out, apply a basic filter. To do this, click the filter icon on any column, then switch to Basic Filter.

Once the result set is less than 10,000, a timeout error should not occur. You can attempt to sort the records now. Smart filters should also work again once the dataset is filtered, as they only show results that match within the current dataset.

Performance issues can also be intermittent with your Salesforce instance. Refer to trust.salesforce.com to check for any known performance degradation. If performance is still unacceptable, refer to the resources below to determine if you need to add custom indexes to problem fields. If you suspect the performance problem is specific to Conga Grid, Contact Support. If you still cannot resolve the issue, we recommend submitting a case to Salesforce support to ask for a query performance evaluation. (Conga Grid can provide an example SOQL query to help diagnose the issue.)

To file a support case:

  1. Review the knowledge article from Salesforce on custom indexes.

  2. Review the checklist for Salesforce requests.

  3. File a case with Salesforce support.