# Rate limits

Each API key can make 10 requests a second on average, with bursts of up to 20.

[Create a swap](/reference/swaps) has a lower limit of its own for each API key. The limit is 1 request a second on average, with bursts of up to 5. These requests also count toward the key's general limit. [Price a swap](/reference/swap-price) has only the general limit. Use prices while the user chooses, and create a swap when the user is ready to sign.

A request over the limit fails with status 429 and the code `rate_limited`. Its `Retry-After` header gives the number of seconds to wait before you try again.

```http
HTTP/1.1 429 Too Many Requests
Retry-After: 1
Content-Type: application/json

{"error":{"code":"rate_limited","message":"This API key has made too many requests. Retry after 1 second."}}
```

When Circuitry limits many requests at once, add a small random delay to each retry. Then the retries don't all arrive together.