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

# Rate limits

> Build reliable clients when request limits apply.

FreeModel may apply per-key fairness limits to protect service availability. Limits can vary by model and current capacity. FreeModel does not publish fixed limits at this time.

When a request exceeds a limit, the API returns HTTP `429` with the standard error envelope.

## Handle 429 responses

* Queue work instead of sending large bursts of parallel requests.
* Retry with exponential backoff and jitter.
* Set a maximum retry count and surface a useful error when it is reached.
* Stream or batch work only when it suits your workload and the selected endpoint.

Do not retry immediately in a tight loop. That can extend the throttling period.

See [Errors](/errors) for the error response format.