Python asyncio Cheat Sheet/Use `asyncio.wait_for()`

Wrap an awaitable with a timeout.

Section: Cancellation and Timeouts

Use `asyncio.wait_for()`

python
python
import asyncio

async def slow():
    await asyncio.sleep(2)

async def main():
    try:
        await asyncio.wait_for(slow(), timeout=0.5)
    except TimeoutError:
        print("too slow")

asyncio.run(main())
Explanation

A classic timeout helper that cancels the wrapped awaitable if the timeout expires.

Learn the surrounding workflow

Compare similar commands or jump into common fixes when this command is part of a bigger troubleshooting path.

Related commands

Same sheet · prioritizing Cancellation and Timeouts
Cancel a task
Request cancellation and await the task to observe it.
OpenIn sheetpythonsame section
Use `asyncio.timeout()`
Apply a deadline with an async context manager.
OpenIn sheetpythonsame section
Shield a task from outer cancellation
Prevent cancellation from immediately propagating to a task.
OpenIn sheetpythonsame section
Add a timeout to queue operations
Wrap queue operations with `wait_for()`.
OpenIn sheetpython2 tag match
Run an async entrypoint
Execute a top-level coroutine and manage the event loop automatically.
Create a background task
Schedule a coroutine to run concurrently.