Codex 429 (rate limit): causes and fixes
Is there an outage right now?
Codex official status is operational. If this error persists, it is likely an implementation or environment issue on your side.
Updated: Jul 21, 2026, 8:00 PM UTC
View Codex status →What this error means
Codex (API/CLI) returns 429 — from too many requests in a short time, or OpenAI-side rate limits / demand spikes.
Common causes
- •Too many requests in a short time
- •Hit OpenAI-side rate limits
- •Temporary throttling from demand
- •Too much concurrency
How to fix
- 1.Retry with exponential backoff
- 2.Lower request rate and concurrency
- 3.Wait and re-run
- 4.Split the task
- 5.Check status at top of page and OpenAI API
When waiting helps (and when it won't)
If demand-driven, it clears over time. If it is your own rate, spacing out requests recovers it.
Alternatives when Codex is down
Related errors
FAQ
What is 429 rate limit?
Codex (API/CLI) returns 429 — from too many requests in a short time, or OpenAI-side rate limits / demand spikes.
How do I fix 429 rate limit?
Retry with exponential backoff / Lower request rate and concurrency / Wait and re-run / Split the task / Check status at top of page and OpenAI API