# agent pdf export timed out on 500 page proposal: how to fix it

A 500 page render exceeds the agent tool timeout in one shot. Split the proposal into chapter chunks, render each separately within the timeout, then merge the PDFs.

```text
agent pdf export timed out on 500 page proposal
```

## When to use this skill
- Agent PDF export times out on large proposals
- Export works for small proposals but not the full one

## When not to use this skill
- Export fails instantly (a configuration issue)
- Merged PDF has wrong order (an assembly issue)

## Tool compatibility
Agent large-proposal PDF export. Related area: agent frameworks and document tooling.

Related area: proposal automation and agent-assisted RFP workflows.

Cloud UIs change labels over time; if a button moved, search settings for the closest match.

## Before you start
- Sign in to the tool and keep one tab open so sessions stay clean
- Copy the exact error text and note the time it happened
- Set aside 15 to 20 minutes; most of these resolve in a single pass

## Quick diagnosis
Make sure this is the right skill before you invest the 15 minutes.
- If you are dealing with agent PDF export times out on large proposals, start at step 1 below.
- If instead export fails instantly (a configuration issue), stop here; you need a different skill.
- If neither quite matches, compare your screen against the verbatim error block at the top; that block is exactly what this skill covers.

## Fix it in steps
### 1. Split into chapter chunks

```
Divide the proposal into chunks of 50 to 100 pages.
```
Expected: Expected: each chunk is small enough to render quickly.

### 2. Render each chunk separately

```
Export one PDF per chunk inside the tool timeout.
```
Expected: Expected: every chunk produces a PDF.

### 3. Merge the chunk PDFs

```
Combine the chunk PDFs in order into one file.
```
Expected: Expected: single PDF with the full page count.

### 4. Verify page order and count

```
Check the merged PDF page count and spot check chapter boundaries.
```
Expected: Expected: count matches and chapters flow in order.

## Confirm each step worked
Run through this checklist before moving on. If a check fails, redo that step instead of pushing ahead.
- Step 1 (split into chapter chunks): Expected: expected: each chunk is small enough to render quickly.
- Step 2 (render each chunk separately): Expected: expected: every chunk produces a PDF.
- Step 3 (merge the chunk PDFs): Expected: expected: single PDF with the full page count.
- Step 4 (verify page order and count): Expected: expected: count matches and chapters flow in order.

## Quick recap
1. Split into chapter chunks
2. Render each chunk separately
3. Merge the chunk PDFs
4. Verify page order and count

## Still stuck?
Gather three things: the exact error text, the time it happened, and what changed just before it broke.
Check the vendor status page for an active incident. Then open a support ticket with those three things;
it cuts the back-and-forth in half. For agent runs, attach the last 50 lines of the agent log too,
since the loop or timeout signature in the log usually names the cause.

## Variant phrasings
### agent pdf export timeout large proposal
Chunk, render, merge. If this matches what you saw, the steps above apply as written.

### agent 500 page proposal export failed
Chunked rendering fixes it. If this matches what you saw, the steps above apply as written.

## Why it happens
Render time grows faster than page count because of fonts, images, and layout passes, so a proposal ten times longer can take far more than ten times as long. Chunking keeps each render inside the timeout window.

## Edge cases
- Render the table of contents last, after the final page count is known
- Keep chunk boundaries at chapter breaks so merges stay clean
- Compress images before rendering; they dominate render time

## Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_1hXMW08lu0elRXNbnl8adw