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

# Rate Limiting

> API request limits and rate limiting behavior

# Rate Limiting

The API enforces rate limiting on a per-API-key basis to ensure fair usage and system stability.

## Limits

| Parameter           | Value        |
| ------------------- | ------------ |
| Requests per window | **60**       |
| Window duration     | **1 minute** |

## Response Headers

Every response includes rate limit headers:

| Header                  | Description                              |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| `X-RateLimit-Limit`     | Maximum requests allowed per window      |
| `X-RateLimit-Remaining` | Requests remaining in the current window |
| `X-RateLimit-Reset`     | Unix timestamp when the window resets    |

## Exceeding the Limit

When you exceed the rate limit, the API returns **HTTP 429** with a `Retry-After` header:

```json theme={null}
{
  "error": "Rate limit exceeded. Please retry after the window resets."
}
```

## Best Practices

* **Cache responses** when possible to reduce request volume.
* **Use pagination** with reasonable page sizes (default: 20).
* **Implement exponential backoff** when receiving 429 responses.
* **Monitor rate limit headers** to stay within bounds proactively.