RateLimit-Limit

The unofficial RateLimit-Limit response header indicates the maximum number of requests a client is allowed to make within the current rate limit window.

Table of Contents

Usage
Values
- quota
- quota with appended policies
Example
See also

Usage

RateLimit-Limit is one of three separate rate limit HTTP headers introduced in earlier IETF drafts. Together with RateLimit-Remaining and RateLimit-Reset, these headers give clients a clear picture of their rate limit quota and current consumption.

The header uses HTTP Structured Fields syntax. The simplest form is a bare integer representing the request quota. A more detailed form appends a policy with a window parameter (w) indicating the time window in seconds. Multiple policies are separated by commas when a server enforces more than one rate limit simultaneously.

These headers replace the older, non-standard X-RateLimit-Limit, X-RateLimit-Remaining, and X-RateLimit-Reset headers. Services like GitLab, CircleCI, and OKX already send this header.

Values

quota

An integer representing the maximum number of requests allowed within the current window. Sent as a bare number when no additional policy details are needed.

quota with appended policies

Early draft versions allowed appending quota policies after the bare quota, comma-separated, each carrying a w window parameter: <quota>, <quota>;w=<seconds>. The leading value stays a bare integer in every draft version, and the modern two-field design moves the w syntax entirely into RateLimit-Policy.

Example

A simple quota of 500 requests per rate limit window. GitLab sends this format across its API and web endpoints.

RateLimit-Limit: 500

An API using the early-draft form, stating the active quota of 100 followed by the policy behind the number, 100 requests per 10-second window.

RateLimit-Limit: 100, 100;w=10

The modern two-field design drops this header entirely, pairing RateLimit with a named policy.

RateLimit: "default";r=87;t=10
RateLimit-Policy: "default";q=100;w=10

When all three rate limit headers appear together, a client sees the full picture of remaining quota and time until reset.

RateLimit-Limit: 500
RateLimit-Remaining: 359
RateLimit-Reset: 60