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

# Rate Limits

> Understand request limits and how to handle them

MetaLink enforces two types of rate limits: **per-minute** and **monthly**.

## Limits by Plan

| Plan     | Per Minute | Monthly |
| -------- | ---------- | ------- |
| Free     | 100        | 1,000   |
| Starter  | 300        | 10,000  |
| Growth   | 600        | 50,000  |
| Business | 1,200      | 200,000 |

<Note>
  Monthly limits are per **user**, not per key. If you have multiple API keys, they share the same monthly quota.
</Note>

## Rate Limit Headers

Every successful response includes these headers:

| Header                  | Description                                  |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| `X-RateLimit-Limit`     | Max requests per minute for your tier        |
| `X-RateLimit-Remaining` | Requests remaining in the current minute     |
| `X-RateLimit-Reset`     | Unix timestamp when the minute window resets |
| `X-Monthly-Limit`       | Max requests per month for your tier         |
| `X-Monthly-Used`        | Requests used this month                     |
| `X-Monthly-Remaining`   | Requests remaining this month                |

## When You Hit the Limit

If you exceed either limit, you'll receive a `429 Too Many Requests` response.

**Per-minute limit exceeded:**

* Response includes a `Retry-After` header (seconds until you can retry)
* Wait the indicated time, then retry

**Monthly limit exceeded:**

* Response includes `X-Monthly-Reset` header (ISO 8601 date-time, e.g., `2026-04-01T00:00:00Z`)
* Monthly counters reset on the 1st of each month at midnight UTC
* [Upgrade your plan](https://metalinkapi.com/dashboard) for a higher limit