HTTP 429 Too Many Requests
Status code 429 · Class 4xx
Too Many Requests
Also searched as: error 429, HTTP 429, 429 too many requests, rate limited
What it means
429 Too Many Requests means you, your IP address or your API key sent more requests than the service allows in a time window. It is rate limiting: requests work again after waiting. Visitors meet it on busy sites and when sharing an IP via VPN; developers meet it on APIs.
Applies to: All browsers, REST APIs, Cloudflare, nginx
How to fix HTTP 429 Too Many Requests
- Wait and retry later; check the 'Retry-After' response header for how many seconds to wait
- Stop rapid refreshing and close extra tabs or scripts hitting the same site
- Disconnect from VPN or proxy, since shared IPs exhaust limits quickly
- API clients: add exponential backoff with jitter and honour Retry-After instead of retrying in a tight loop
- API clients: cache responses and batch requests to use fewer calls; check your plan's quota dashboard
- If you own the site: review rate-limit rules in your WAF, CDN or app (nginx 'limit_req') so normal users and good bots are not caught
- If you own the site: return Retry-After with 429 so well-behaved clients slow down automatically
Why it happens
RFC 6585 defines 429 for rate limiting. Limits are counted per IP, user, API key or endpoint, and any burst above them, including from shared IPs, is rejected until the window resets.
FAQ
Is a 429 error my fault?
It is triggered by the volume of requests from you or your IP. If you share an IP (VPN, office, mobile carrier), other people's traffic can push you over the limit.
How long does a 429 error last?
It depends on the service. Check the Retry-After header; many limits reset within a minute to an hour.
Related errors
Source: IANA HTTP Status Code Registry · fixes written and reviewed by the editors (see our editorial policy)
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