# API Rate Limiting

Many input connectors let you cap the rate at which Monad makes outbound requests
to the source API. Setting a limit keeps a connector comfortably under the
provider's quota, avoiding `429 Too Many Requests` errors and the throttling/backoff
delays they cause.

## How it works

When you set a rate limit, Monad applies a token-bucket limiter to the connector's
outbound HTTP requests, smoothing them to the rate you choose. This is _proactive_:
it prevents you from hitting the provider's limit in the first place. Independently,
Monad always honors a provider's `Retry-After` header and backs off on a `429`, so
a connector stays correct even without a configured limit.

## Configuring a limit

The **API Rate Limit** setting is an object with two fields:

| Field | Description                                                         |
| ----- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Rate  | A positive number — how many requests are allowed per unit of time. |
| Unit  | `per_second` (default), `per_minute`, or `per_hour`.                |

For example, _Rate = 30, Unit = per_minute_ limits the connector to 30 requests/minute (0.5/sec).

## Defaults and limits

- **Leave it blank** to use the connector's default behavior. For most connectors this
  means unthrottled (Monad still backs off on `429`); some connectors apply a built-in
  default — see the connector's own page.
- Each connector enforces a **maximum** based on the provider's documented API ceiling.
  A value above that maximum is rejected when you save the configuration.
- The platform **minimum** is 0.1 requests/second; a limit slower than that is rejected.

## Choosing a value

- Start from the provider's documented rate limit (linked on each connector's page).
- If your API token is shared with other tools, set a limit below the provider's
  ceiling to leave headroom.
- Plan tiers matter: many providers' limits depend on your subscription, so the
  connector's maximum is a conservative ceiling, not a guarantee for your account.