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  4. · 4 minutes · Pro

The reminder that never came

Your app promises 'We'll remind you in 24 hours'. Nobody has ever received the reminder.

This answers: Why doesn't setTimeout work in my serverless API? No coding needed. 2 quick decisions.

  • How a request travels
  • Debugging without panic

Checking your access…

Why doesn't setTimeout work in my serverless API?

functions run for one request and stop shortly after responding, so timers scheduled inside them never fire. Store future work as data with a due time, and process it with a (cron) or a queue that retries failures. Check your plan's cron frequency limits.

Trail of the bug
  1. Your server
  2. Scheduler
  3. Email service

Breaks at Scheduler: Function stopped; timer died

Why AI tools write this bug

Code written for a long-running server, with timers, is often generated for hosting where it silently stops working.

How to fix it

  1. Save scheduled work in a table with a due time.

3 more steps, and a prompt that checks your own app for this bug. Part of Pro.

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Common questions

Can I keep the function alive longer?
Only for seconds or minutes, not hours. Use a scheduler for anything later.

Related scenarios

  • The save that saved nothingFree · 4 min
  • Works on my machinePro · 4 min
  • Blocked by CORSPro · 4 min

More on this trail

Launch day: Emails that never arrive, sign-in errors, timeouts, stale prices and connection limits.

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2 decisions, about 4 minutes, and a prompt to check your own app for the same problem.

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How to fix it

  1. Save scheduled work in a table with a due time.

3 more steps, and a prompt that checks your own app for this bug. Part of Pro.

Unlock