Search takes longer than expected
A Tender Navigator search across the whole tender database can take several seconds, sometimes more than ten, and each new page of results is a search of its own. Repeating the same search shortly afterwards is much faster, and pages already seen open instantly. The first open of a notice generates its AI summary, which adds a few seconds. The tool shows what it is doing while you wait, says when a request is unusually slow, and shows an error with Retry when it failed.
Last updated Published 2 min read
What is normal
- A search: several seconds on a query the database has not seen recently, sometimes more than ten. Repeating exactly the same search shortly afterwards is much faster: measured on the live service, about 13 seconds the first time and 0.2 seconds the second.
- Another page of results: in the dashboard every page is a search of its own, so a page you have not opened yet can take as long as the first one. Pages you have already seen open instantly, because the dashboard keeps them for as long as you stay on the same search. See Reading Pre-search results.
- Opening a notice for the first time: a few seconds, because the AI summary is generated on that first open. Opening the same notice again is fast.
While a request runs, the tool shows the stage it is on ("Searching published tenders", "Retrieving the tender notice") and a skeleton of the content that is coming. A re-search keeps the previous results on screen and interactive while the new one runs. A page change is different: the tool takes you to the top of the list, says which page it is loading ("Loading page 3 of 25") and shows the loading status in place of the rows.
When it is unusually slow
After a while the status adds "This is taking longer than usual. Tender Navigator is still working - the request has not timed out." The request is still running; wait for it. Do not press Search repeatedly: each press starts a new search, and a new search also discards the pages already kept.
When it has failed
- "The search service could not be reached. Please try again." with a Retry button: the search did not complete. Retry re-runs the same query.
- "Page 3 could not be loaded. Please try again." with Retry: the page you asked for did not arrive. The page you were on stays on screen.
- "Tender Navigator could not load this notice. The service may be busy." with a retry: the notice could not be fetched.
All three are usually transient. If they persist for several minutes, the service is having trouble; try later, and if it continues, tell the team from the Support page with the time and the query.
Things that do not help
- Reloading the page mid-search cancels the search and clears the form.
- Opening many notices at once queues several summary generations.
A quick check
Run one of the suggested queries ("construction") with no other criteria. If that also fails, the problem is on the service side rather than with your criteria.
Related articles
- Using the Pre-search tool in Tender NavigatorThe Pre-search tool runs a live search across the Tender Navigator tender database by keywords, countries, classification codes and budget. Where it lives, what it returns, and how it becomes a filter.
- The AI summary on tender noticesWhat the AI summary on a Tender Navigator tender notice is, how it is generated on first open, why it can appear a few seconds after the rest of the notice, and how it differs from AI evaluation.
- AI summary is still generatingWhat the message 'The AI summary for this notice is still being generated' means in Tender Navigator, how long to wait, why a notice may have no AI summary, and how to check again.
- Reading Pre-search resultsWhat a Pre-search result row shows in Tender Navigator: the time left to bid, Not evaluated, New and Deadline soon, highlighted keywords, the five-result preview for visitors, and paging in the dashboard.