How to Fix Airtable API Error 429

Airtable error 429 Too Many Requests means Airtable has stopped an API request because you reached a limit.

There are two common causes:

If the response includes PUBLIC_API_BILLING_LIMIT_EXCEEDED, you have reached the monthly limit.

Fix the Rate Limit

Airtable allows up to 5 Web API requests per second for each base. A personal access token can send up to 50 requests per second across multiple bases, but the 5-request limit still applies to each base.

If your requests arrive in bursts, use exponential backoff. Wait a little after the first 429, then increase the delay before each retry.

function sleep(ms) {
  return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
}

async function withRetry(request, maxRetries = 5) {
  for (let attempt = 0; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++) {
    try {
      return await request();
    } catch (error) {
      if (error.statusCode !== 429 || attempt === maxRetries) {
        throw error;
      }

      const delay = 1000 * 2 ** attempt + Math.random() * 500;
      await sleep(delay);
    }
  }
}

Send Records in Batches

Sending one API request for every record is an easy way to hit the rate limit. The Web API accepts up to 10 records in one create, update, or delete request, so use your API client's batch method when you can.

Limit Simultaneous Requests

Several workers, scheduled jobs, or page visitors can send requests to the same base at the same time. Limit how many requests run together and cache data that does not change often.

For a public website, caching is usually better than requesting the same Airtable records every time someone loads a page. For a data migration, send batches with a short delay between them.

Fix the Monthly API Limit

Airtable's monthly Web API limits are:

If you have reached this limit, slowing down requests will not help. Check your workspace usage, then wait for the monthly reset or reduce the number of calls by batching requests and removing repeated jobs.

If you reach the limit regularly, upgrade the workspace. For more ways to reduce unnecessary API calls, see What Counts as an Airtable API Call.