What are the API rate limits?

Standard API keys allow 100 requests per minute (6,000 per hour, 144,000 per day). Premium API keys allow 1,000 requests per minute (60,000 per hour, 1,440,000 per day). Rate limit information is included in response headers: X-RateLimit-Remaining and X-RateLimit-Reset.

What happens when I exceed the rate limit?

When you exceed the rate limit, you'll receive a 429 (Too Many Requests) status code. The response includes a Retry-After header indicating how long to wait before retrying. Implement exponential backoff for retries and cache responses to avoid hitting limits.

What are the API error codes?

Common error codes: 400 (Bad Request - invalid parameters), 401 (Unauthorized - invalid API key), 403 (Forbidden - insufficient permissions), 404 (Not Found - resource doesn't exist), 429 (Rate Limit Exceeded), 500 (Internal Server Error). All errors return JSON with status, message, and optional errors object.

How should I handle API errors?

Check the response status code, parse the error JSON for details, implement retry logic for transient errors (5xx, 429), handle authentication errors (401) by refreshing tokens, validate input to prevent 400 errors, and log errors for debugging. Use exponential backoff for retries.

How can I avoid hitting rate limits?

Cache API responses when appropriate, use webhooks instead of polling, implement request batching, use appropriate API key tier for your needs, monitor rate limit headers in responses, and implement proper error handling with retry logic.

API Rate Limits & Error Handling

Complete guide to understanding rate limits, handling errors, and implementing best practices for API usage.

Rate Limits

Standard API Keys

100 requests per minute
6,000 requests per hour
144,000 requests per day

Premium API Keys

1,000 requests per minute
60,000 requests per hour
1,440,000 requests per day

Error Codes

400 - Bad Request

The request was invalid or malformed. Check your request parameters and body format.

401 - Unauthorized

Authentication required or invalid API key. Include valid API key in Authorization header: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

429 - Rate Limit Exceeded

Too many requests. Check Retry-After header for wait time. Implement exponential backoff for retries.

500 - Internal Server Error

An internal server error occurred. Please try again later or contact support if the issue persists.

Best Practices

Implement exponential backoff for retries
Cache responses when appropriate to reduce API calls
Use webhooks instead of polling when possible
Monitor rate limit headers (X-RateLimit-Remaining, X-RateLimit-Reset) in responses
Use appropriate API key tier for your needs
Handle errors gracefully with proper user feedback
Log errors for debugging and monitoring