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

# Rate Limits

> Understand rate limits and ingestion constraints for the Award Force API.

## Rate limits

The Award Force API employs rate limits to help maximize stability and prevent service disruptions.

### Request rate limits

Rate limiting is set at **60 requests per API key per minute**. Requests above this limit return a `429 TOO MANY REQUESTS` response.

All API responses include the following headers to help you monitor and manage your request rate:

<ResponseField name="X-RateLimit-Limit" type="integer">
  Maximum number of requests allowed per minute.

  **Example:** `60`
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="X-RateLimit-Remaining" type="integer">
  Number of requests remaining in the current rate limit window.

  **Example:** `58`
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="X-RateLimit-Reset" type="integer">
  Unix timestamp when the rate limit window resets.

  **Example:** `1783470988`
</ResponseField>

<Warning>
  When you receive a `429` error, the rate limit headers are replaced with a `Retry-After` header indicating the number of seconds to wait before retrying.
</Warning>

### File upload size limits

File uploads are limited to a maximum size of **256 MB**. Requests exceeding this limit return a `413 PAYLOAD TOO LARGE` response.

## Retry recommendations

We recommend implementing retry logic for `429` and `503` errors using an exponential backoff strategy with randomized jitter to avoid overwhelming the server.

<Warning>
  Only retry after the time indicated by the `Retry-After` header (in seconds) has elapsed. Immediate retries will always receive a `429` error.
</Warning>

**Example retry strategy:**

1. Receive a `429` or `503` error
2. Read the `Retry-After` header value (seconds)
3. Wait for the specified duration plus a random jitter (0-5 seconds)
4. Retry the request
5. If the request fails again, double the wait time and repeat