# Rate Limits

The Limy API enforces rate limits to ensure fair usage and platform stability.

## Default Limits

| Limit             | Value                        |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Requests per hour | 600 per API key              |
| Burst             | Up to 10 requests per second |

## Rate Limit Headers

Every API response includes rate limit headers:

| Header                  | Description                               |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| `X-RateLimit-Limit`     | Maximum requests allowed per hour         |
| `X-RateLimit-Remaining` | Requests remaining in the current window  |
| `X-RateLimit-Reset`     | Unix timestamp when the rate limit resets |

Example response headers:

```
X-RateLimit-Limit: 600
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 594
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1717596000
```

## Exceeding the Limit

When you exceed the rate limit, the API returns a `429 Too Many Requests` response:

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED",
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded. Retry after 42 seconds.",
    "retryAfter": 42
  }
}
```

The response also includes a `Retry-After` header with the number of seconds to wait.

## Best Practices

* **Cache responses** — Analytics data updates on a run schedule (typically daily), not in real-time. Cache responses for at least 1 hour.
* **Use filters** — Narrow your queries with filters (providers, topics, regions) instead of fetching all data and filtering client-side.
* **Batch requests** — If you need data for multiple topics, use the `topicIds` filter parameter instead of making separate requests per topic.
* **Implement exponential backoff** — On 429 responses, wait for the `Retry-After` duration, then retry with exponential backoff.

## Rate Limit by Plan

| Plan       | Requests/Hour |
| ---------- | ------------- |
| Growth     | 600           |
| Pro        | 600           |
| Scale      | 1,200         |
| Enterprise | Custom        |

Contact your account manager for higher limits.


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