ReClip Download Timeout: How the 5-Minute Limit Works

ReClip enforces a strict 300-second (5-minute) timeout on all video download jobs, aborting any yt-dlp subprocess that exceeds this limit and marking the job as failed.

The download timeout for ReClip jobs is hardcoded into the core download worker to prevent hung processes and resource exhaustion. When a user submits a URL for processing, the backend delegates to yt-dlp via a subprocess call with explicit time boundaries. Understanding this mechanism helps developers tune expectations and handle failure states gracefully.

Where the Timeout Is Defined

The timeout logic resides in app.py, specifically within the run_download() function.

The 300-Second Subprocess Call

ReClip invokes yt-dlp using subprocess.run() with timeout=300:

# app.py (line 48)

result = subprocess.run(
    cmd,
    capture_output=True,
    text=True,
    timeout=300  # 5 minutes

)

This parameter is passed directly to Python's standard library subprocess module. If yt-dlp does not complete within 300 seconds, Python raises subprocess.TimeoutExpired.

Timeout Exception Handling

The exception is caught and mapped to a user-visible error state at lines 84-86:

# app.py (lines 84-86)

except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
    job["status"] = "error"
    job["error"] = "Download timed out (5 min limit)"

No retry logic is implemented—the job terminates immediately upon timeout.

Checking Job Status After Submission

Clients can poll the status endpoint to detect timeout failures:

import requests

# Start a download

resp = requests.post(
    "http://localhost:5000/api/download",
    json={"url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example", "format": "video"}
)
job_id = resp.json()["job_id"]

# Check status

status = requests.get(f"http://localhost:5000/api/status/{job_id}").json()
print(status)

Example timeout response:

{
  "status": "error",
  "error": "Download timed out (5 min limit)",
  "filename": null
}

Why 5 Minutes?

The ReClip download timeout balances two competing constraints:

1. User experience — Most short-form and standard-length videos complete well under 5 minutes on reasonable connections
2. Resource protection — Prevents indefinite blocking of worker threads by slow servers, large files, or network stalls

This is a static value; no configuration flag or environment variable overrides it in the current implementation.

Key Files Controlling Download Behavior

File	Purpose
app.py	Core Flask application; contains run_download() with the 300s timeout enforcement
Dockerfile	Container build configuration for the Flask service
requirements.txt	Python dependencies including Flask

Summary

• ReClip download jobs time out after exactly 300 seconds (5 minutes)
• Timeout is enforced via subprocess.run(timeout=300) in app.py
• Expired jobs receive status "error" with message "Download timed out (5 min limit)"
• No retry mechanism exists; clients must resubmit failed URLs
• The limit is hardcoded and not user-configurable

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I increase the ReClip download timeout?

No. The 300-second value is hardcoded in app.py at line 48 and line 84. To modify it, you must edit the source and rebuild the application.

What happens to partially downloaded files on timeout?

The timeout triggers subprocess.TimeoutExpired, which kills the yt-dlp process immediately. Any partial files remain in the download directory but are not tracked in the job status. The job record shows only the timeout error.

Does ReClip retry failed downloads automatically?

No. According to the source code in app.py, timeout exceptions set the job status to "error" and stop processing. Clients must detect the failure via the status API and submit a new request if desired.

Why does ReClip use yt-dlp instead of a Python library?

The subprocess approach isolates yt-dlp's complex dependency chain and frequent updates from the Flask application. The 300-second timeout acts as a safeguard against any hang within that external process.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}