OpenAI API 429 Too Many Requests (Rate Limit)

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Honor Retry-After and back off

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   1. Read the Retry-After header and wait at least that long
   2. Without it, use exponential backoff with jitter
   3. Cap attempts and total retry time
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Ramp traffic gradually

   1. Above 1M input tokens/min, raise load no more than 50% every 15 minutes
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Reduce wasted capacity

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   1. Set max_tokens close to the expected output
   2. Batch prompts where possible
   Did this fix it? Yes No

4. 4. Move non-urgent work to the Batch API

   1. Submit large jobs through the Batch API so they skip synchronous limits
   Did this fix it? Yes No

5. 5. Raise your tier

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   1. Tiers rise with total credit purchases: Build $5, Launch $100, Grow $500
   2. Check Settings > Limits for your current limits
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

Requests fail with HTTP 429 "Rate limit reached" or code slow_down, often in bursts.

Why it happens

• Requests or tokens per minute above your tier limit
• Traffic ramped too fast (slow_down)
• Retry loops that count against the limit
• Oversized max_tokens reserving capacity

This guide also covers

• openai 429 too many requests
• openai rate limit reached
• openai slow_down

The same problem in other apps

All plan limits, paywalls & watermarks guides →

• Claude Usage Limit Reached (Anthropic Claude)
• Gemini Usage Limit Reached (Google Gemini)
• Perplexity Pro Limit Reached: Why It Happens (Perplexity)

Other OpenAI errors

• OpenAI API Error: You Exceeded Your Current Quota (insufficient_quota)
• OpenAI API 401 Incorrect API Key Provided
• OpenAI API 500 and 503 Server Errors (server_is_overloaded)
• OpenAI API Request Timed Out / 504 Gateway Timeout
• OpenAI API Credits Expired or Balance Disappeared
• OpenAI "Your Organization Must Be Verified" 403 Error
• OpenAI API model_not_found: Model Does Not Exist or You Do Not Have Access
• OpenAI API context_length_exceeded: Maximum Context Length Error