A few important notes: 1. When using direct execution or

serve

, your flow code needs to be available locally where you're running it. 2. The

serve

function is particularly useful when you want to: - Run flows locally - Handle scheduled runs - Test flows before creating deployments 3. When using the REST API approach: - Make sure you have a valid API key - The Prefect server needs to be running and accessible - The flow code must be available where the server can access it Choose the method that best fits your use case: - Use direct execution for simple local testing - Use

serve

for local development with scheduling capabilities - Use the REST API when you need to trigger flows remotely Would you like me to elaborate on any of these methods or provide more specific examples for your use case?

Let me help you troubleshoot this connection issue. Here's a systematic approach to resolve the TimeoutError: 1. First, verify your Prefect configuration Run this command to check your current settings:

bash
prefect config view

2. Check your API URL configuration Make sure you're using the correct API URL: - For Prefect Cloud:

<https://api.prefect.cloud/api/accounts/[ACCOUNT-ID]/workspaces/[WORKSPACE-ID]>

- For self-hosted: Usually something like

<http://localhost:4200/api>

or your custom server URL 3. Test basic connectivity Try a simple API request to verify basic connectivity:

python
import httpx
from prefect.client.cloud import get_cloud_client
from prefect.settings import PREFECT_API_URL

# Print the API URL you're using
print(f"Using API URL: {PREFECT_API_URL.value()}")

# Test with httpx (recommended for Prefect 3.x)
try:
    response = httpx.get(f"{PREFECT_API_URL.value()}/health")
    print(f"Status code: {response.status_code}")
    print(f"Response: {response.text}")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"Connection error: {e}")

4. Common solutions to try: a. Set timeout explicitly:

python
import httpx
from prefect.client.cloud import get_cloud_client

# Use longer timeout
client = httpx.Client(timeout=30.0)  # 30 seconds timeout

b. Check proxy settings (if you're behind a corporate network):

python
# Set these environment variables if needed
import os
os.environ["HTTPS_PROXY"] = "<http://your-proxy:port>"
os.environ["HTTP_PROXY"] = "<http://your-proxy:port>"

c. Verify SSL settings (if SSL is causing issues):

python
import httpx

# Create a client that doesn't verify SSL (for testing only!)
client = httpx.Client(verify=False)  # Warning: Don't use in production!

5. Network troubleshooting: - Check if you can ping the server - Verify no firewall is blocking the connection - Ensure you're not experiencing network instability - If using a VPN, try without it temporarily 6. Environment-specific checks: - If using Prefect Cloud, ensure your API key is valid - If self-hosted, verify the Prefect server is running and accessible - Check for any corporate network policies that might be blocking connections To help diagnose further: 1. What type of Prefect setup are you using (Cloud or self-hosted)? 2. Can you share the code you're using to make the API request (with sensitive information redacted)? 3. Are you able to access the Prefect UI in your browser? 4. Are you behind a corporate network or VPN? This information would help me provide more specific guidance for your situation.