## TL;DR
Fix this in auditor sample list agent by acting on the exact problem first: push the sampling into Snowflake with a limited sample query instead of exporting the whole population, save the population count and the sampled identifiers first, and generate the sample list from that saved file in a separate short step. Do not rerun the whole job or collection unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one control, account or batch first, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the counts.

```text
agent timed out - population query ran over Snowflake export
```

## Use this when
- The operation in auditor sample list agent fails with this exact message or symptom: agent timed out - population query ran over Snowflake export.
- The same failure repeats on retry with unchanged inputs.
- An audit, evidence package or compliance review is blocked until this item completes.

## Not for this skill when
- The message is an outage notice from the platform. Resolve that first, then return here if this problem remains.
- The operation completes and you only disagree with an auditor judgment or a control design choice. That is a review discussion, not this failure.

## Steps
1. Reproduce the failure with the smallest scope that still shows it in auditor sample list agent, and copy the full message plus the control, account or item involved into the run notes. Verify: the problem is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only seen in a log.
2. Apply the specific fix for this problem: push the sampling into Snowflake with a limited sample query instead of exporting the whole population, save the population count and the sampled identifiers first, and generate the sample list from that saved file in a separate short step. Verify: the smallest failing scope now completes, or the named control, account or item behaves as the fix predicts.
3. Check the neighbouring controls, accounts or items that share the same connection, mapping or owner, because this class of failure rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Rerun the original operation in auditor sample list agent on the previously failing scope, watching for the same message rather than assuming success from a quiet log. Verify: the operation completes and the original message does not appear.
5. Compare the result counts or status against the source in auditor sample list agent so a silent partial success is caught before sign off. Verify: counts match the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the triggering input and the verification result on the item so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the problem, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

## Why it happens
Exporting an entire population to sample it locally makes the export the bottleneck, while the warehouse can return just the sample in a fraction of the time.

## Variant phrasings

### agent timed out - population query ran over Snowflake export
The verbatim form searchers paste from the console, ticket or audit request. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the full rerun.

### How to fix - agent timed out generating auditor sample list population query ran over Snowflake export
The how to phrasing for the same failure in auditor sample list agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the rerun.

### auditor sample list agent troubleshooting for this failure
The symptom first phrasing used when the console hides the full message. Surface the full message first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

## Edge cases
- If the fix works on the small scope but the full rerun still fails on a different item, treat that item as a new instance, record its scope separately, and apply the same steps rather than widening the first fix blindly.
- If evidence was already sent to an auditor in the wrong state, correct the record with a dated note explaining what changed, rather than silently replacing files in the package.
- If two settings or mappings could both produce this symptom, change one at a time and retest the small scope after each change, so the working fix is known rather than guessed.

Compatibility: auditor sample list agent at current versions, plus the admin console or API the query names; no extra tooling beyond the source system access needed to verify counts.

## Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_aNZHtVoGtPG06EYfdunKgA