GitHub "Too Many Requests" and Rate Limit Errors Explained

GitHub returns "too many requests" (HTTP 429 or 403) when you pass a rate limit. Sign in or use a token, slow down, and wait for the limit to reset.

Where you see it

API limits in short

• Requests without authentication have a low hourly limit per IP address.
• Requests with a personal access token or a GitHub App get a much higher limit.
• Secondary limits apply to bursts, such as many requests at once or creating lots of content quickly.

Exact numbers are listed in GitHub's REST API documentation and can change, so check there.

Read the response headers

API responses include headers showing your limit, how many requests remain, and when the limit resets. A secondary limit response may include a retry-after header. Wait at least that long before trying again.

Fixes for developers

1. Authenticate every request with a token instead of calling anonymously.
2. Cache results and avoid asking for the same data repeatedly.
3. Use conditional requests with ETags, which do not count against the limit when nothing changed.
4. Use webhooks instead of polling.
5. Space out requests and back off when you get a 429 or 403.

Fixes for normal browsing

• Sign in: signed-in users get more room than visitors.
• Slow down code search; it has its own tighter limit.
• Turn off browser extensions that load GitHub data in the background.

Shared networks and CI

Offices, schools and cloud build servers share IP addresses, so anonymous limits run out fast. Give CI jobs a token and cache dependencies between runs.

Sign-in limits

Too many failed sign-ins pause attempts for a while. Use Forgot password rather than guessing, and check GitHub two-factor authentication if codes are the problem.

FAQ

What does GitHub too many requests mean?

You passed a rate limit; wait for it to reset.

How do I get a higher GitHub API limit?

Authenticate with a personal access token or a GitHub App.

How long until the GitHub limit resets?

Check the reset or retry-after header in the response.

Related: GitHub 2FA · ChatGPT too many requests · GitLab two-factor codes.