## TL;DR
Fix this in Help center audit agent by acting on the exact symptom first: profile which audit stage is slow by timing fetch, score and write stages separately, replace per article page loads with bulk metadata reads for the scoring stage, and save stage outputs so a rerun only repeats the slow stage once. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

```text
Agent timed out auditing stale help center articles - slow run
```

## Use this when
- Work in Help center audit agent shows this exact symptom: Agent timed out auditing stale help center articles - slow run.
- The same symptom repeats after a retry with unchanged inputs.
- Readers or support agents are blocked until this item is corrected.

## Not for this skill when
- The help center platform itself is down or returning outage notices. Resolve that first, then return here if this symptom remains.
- The content is correct and you only want a style or tone rewrite. That is an editorial pass, not this fix.

## Steps
1. Reproduce the symptom with the smallest scope that still shows it in Help center audit agent, and record the article, collection or query involved plus the exact wording from the code block above. Verify: the symptom is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only reported second hand.
2. Apply the specific fix for this symptom: profile which audit stage is slow by timing fetch, score and write stages separately, replace per article page loads with bulk metadata reads for the scoring stage, and save stage outputs so a rerun only repeats the slow stage once. Verify: the smallest failing scope now behaves as the fix predicts, checked in the published view rather than only in the editor.
3. Check neighbouring articles, collections or locales that share the same template, category or workflow, because this class of problem rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Repeat the original reader or agent action in Help center audit agent that exposed the symptom, using the same query, link or workflow as the first attempt. Verify: the action completes and the original symptom does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth for this item, the current product behaviour, price list, release notes or ticket evidence named in the fix. Verify: the published result matches the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the scope it covered and the verification result where the content team works, so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the symptom, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

## Variant phrasings

### Agent timed out auditing stale help center articles - slow run
The verbatim form readers and agents paste from the help center or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the wider rollout.

### How to fix - agent timed out when agent tried to audit stale help center articles error timeout failure slow
The how to phrasing for the same problem in Help center audit agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the final check.

### Help center audit agent troubleshooting for this symptom
The symptom first phrasing used when the full message is hidden. Surface the full symptom first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

## Why it happens
A single slow stage hidden inside a combined audit step consumes the budget for all stages, and timing per stage is what turns a vague timeout into a fixable bottleneck.

## Edge cases
- The symptom appears in one locale, collection or audience view only. Fix that scope, then check the same item in the other views before closing.
- A cached or indexed copy keeps showing the old state after the fix. Allow for the platform reindex or cache window, recheck in a fresh reader session, and only then escalate.
- Two items have near identical titles. Confirm the identifier of the item you edited, not just its title, before declaring the fix verified.

Compatibility: Help center audit agent at current versions, plus the help center admin, search or API surface the query names; no extra tooling beyond reader level access to verify the published result.

## Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_hcMEoDXEX86TUEo6mtb_UQ