> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.reechee.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Rate limits

> Per-IP and per-key rate limits, the 429 response, and the headers to back off on.

Limits keep the free tier sustainable and protect the API. They're starting points and
may be tuned over time.

## Limits

| Lane              | Limit                                          |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Anonymous (by IP) | **15 / minute** and **100 / day** - both apply |
| Starter key       | **60 / minute**                                |
| Scale key         | **300 / minute**                               |
| Agency key        | **1000 / minute**                              |

Keyed limits are per API key, by the team's plan. The anonymous limit is per client IP.

<Note>
  Over MCP, a single user question is usually several HTTP requests (the client lists
  tools, then calls one or more). Budget the anonymous limit accordingly, or use a key.
</Note>

## When you're limited

Over-limit requests get `429` with the standard error envelope:

```json theme={null}
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "rate_limited",
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded",
    "details": { "retry_after_seconds": 12, "limit": 60, "remaining": 0 }
  }
}
```

…and these headers:

| Header                  | Meaning                              |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| `Retry-After`           | Seconds to wait before retrying.     |
| `X-RateLimit-Limit`     | Requests allowed in the window.      |
| `X-RateLimit-Remaining` | Requests left in the window.         |
| `X-RateLimit-Reset`     | Unix seconds when the window resets. |

## Handling it

Back off on `Retry-After` and retry - don't hammer. A simple exponential backoff that
honors `Retry-After` is plenty. If you're regularly hitting your ceiling, a higher plan
raises the per-minute limit.