# Search takes longer than expected

Source: Tender Navigator Knowledge Base, https://tendernavigator.com/knowledge-base/search-takes-longer-than-expected (canonical HTML). Category: Troubleshooting. Published 2026-09-08, last updated 2026-09-08.

> A Tender Navigator search across the whole tender database can take several seconds on a cold query, and the first open of a notice generates its AI summary, which adds a few seconds more. The tool shows what it is doing while you wait, tells you when a request is unusually slow, and shows an error with Retry when the service could not be reached.

## What is normal

- **A search**: several seconds on a query the database has not seen recently; a repeat of the same query is much faster.
- **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.

## 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.

## 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.
- "Tender Navigator could not load this notice. The service may be busy." with a retry: the notice could not be fetched.

Both 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](/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.