Your agent usually responds within a few seconds. If responses are taking longer than usual, here's what's likely happening and what (if anything) you need to do.
What's normal
- Simple questions: 3–10 seconds
- Drafting a long document: 15–30 seconds
- Web research: 20–45 seconds (your agent is actually searching and reading)
- Complex multi-step tasks: 1–3 minutes
If your agent is working on something complex, it may send a "Working on it..." message to let you know it's still going.
Causes of slower-than-usual responses
- High load: If you've asked for something research-heavy or are running multiple tasks, responses will take longer. This is normal.
- Slow internet: Your agent uses the internet for research and AI processing. A slow connection will slow everything down.
- Computer running low on resources: If many apps are open and your computer is working hard, your agent may run slower. Closing unused apps can help.
- AI service delays: Occasionally, the cloud AI services your agent relies on experience brief slowdowns. This is rare and resolves on its own.
When to worry
If your agent takes more than 5 minutes to respond to a simple question, or doesn't respond at all, it may have stopped. In the Maxiful app, under Team, then Assistants, check it is not paused or stopped. See Agent not responding for the full checklist.