HTTP status · 4xx — client error
429 Too Many Requests
429 Too Many Requests means the client has sent too many requests in a given amount of time.
Key facts
| Class | 4xx — client error |
|---|---|
| Standard | RFC 6585 §4 |
| Cacheable by default | No |
| Key header | Retry-After |
| Fix side | Client backs off or reduces concurrency |
What 429 means
A rate limit was exceeded. The server may include Retry-After with either a number of seconds or an HTTP date. Some APIs also send headers such as RateLimit-Limit, RateLimit-Remaining and RateLimit-Reset to describe the window.
How to back off correctly
Stop sending immediately. Honour Retry-After when present; otherwise use exponential backoff with jitter. Do not retry in a tight loop — that consumes the same quota and can extend the block. If you run a crawler or batch job, cap concurrency and spread requests over the window. Rate limits are usually per key, per IP or per account, so rotating IPs to bypass them is both fragile and often against the provider's terms.
Frequently asked questions
Does 429 mean I am banned?
No. It means a limit was hit for now. A ban is more often 403; a 429 should clear after the window or the Retry-After period.
What should a client do on 429?
Pause, respect Retry-After, then retry with exponential backoff and jitter. Reduce concurrency or request rate before retrying.