Claude API 429 (rate_limit_error)

Is there an outage right now?

Claude API official status is operational. If this error persists, it is likely an implementation or environment issue on your side.

View Claude API status

What this error means

429 means you hit a rate limit: RPM/ITPM/OTPM (per-minute input/output tokens) exceeded.

Common causes

  • Per-minute request/token limit exceeded
  • Too much concurrency
  • Low limits on your tier
  • Temporary demand spike on Anthropic side

How to fix

  1. 1.Exponential backoff honoring Retry-After
  2. 2.Lower concurrency and rate
  3. 3.Use prompt caching / batch to cut usage
  4. 4.Check/raise your tier limits
  5. 5.Check status at top of page

When waiting helps (and when it won't)

May clear over time if demand-driven. If it is your own limit, waiting will not help—reduce rate.

Alternatives when Claude API is down

OpenAI APIGemini API / AI StudioMistral APIDeepSeek API

Related errors

FAQ

What is 429 rate_limit_error?

429 means you hit a rate limit: RPM/ITPM/OTPM (per-minute input/output tokens) exceeded.

How do I fix 429 rate_limit_error?

Exponential backoff honoring Retry-After / Lower concurrency and rate / Use prompt caching / batch to cut usage / Check/raise your tier limits / Check status at top of page