# Rate Limits (/docs/api-reference/rate-limits)



The careCycle API limits how many requests each API key can make.

Default limit [#default-limit]

Each API key can make **120 requests per minute**. Requests are counted per
key in fixed one-minute windows, so the count resets when the window ends.
Separate keys have separate limits.

careCycle can set a different limit or window length on an individual key. If
your integration needs more throughput, contact careCycle support.

Every request counts [#every-request-counts]

Every request made with the key counts toward its limit, including reads and
polling. For example, polling a [campaign enrollment job](/docs/api-reference/campaign-enrollment/guide#poll-results)
for results uses the same budget as the request that started the job. Poll at
a modest interval (the enrollment guide suggests every 2-5 seconds) rather than
in a tight loop.

When you exceed the limit [#when-you-exceed-the-limit]

Once a key uses its budget for the current window, further requests return
`429 Too Many Requests` until the window resets:

```json
{
  "message": "API key rate limit exceeded. Please slow down your requests.",
  "code": "RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED",
  "retryAfter": 42
}
```

`retryAfter` is the number of whole seconds until the current window ends.
For the default window, it is between 1 and 60; custom windows can return longer waits.
The limit is reported only in the response body: the API does
not send `Retry-After` or `RateLimit-*` headers.

Repeated requests with an invalid API key are also rate limited and return the
same `429` response with `RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED`. Fix the key instead of retrying.

Handling 429 responses [#handling-429-responses]

1. Stop sending requests with that key.
2. Wait `retryAfter` seconds, then retry the request.
3. If you keep hitting the limit, spread requests out: queue work on your side,
   batch where an endpoint accepts lists, and slow down polling.