# What are the API rate limits?

> Without a key, each IP address can create 20 links per minute and 300 per day. The MCP server allows 120 calls per minute and 5,000 per day.

Source: https://blinkhop.com/help/api-rate-limits

Without a key, the API lets each IP address create 20 new links per minute and 300 per day. The MCP server has its own limits: 120 calls per minute and 5,000 per day per IP address.

## API rate limits at a glance

| Where | Per minute | Per day |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Website and REST API, no key | 20 new links | 300 new links |
| MCP server | 120 calls | 5,000 calls |

Links you create on the website count toward the same limits as the API. In a bulk request (`POST /links/bulk`, up to 100 URLs), each URL counts as one link.

## Check how many you have left

Every API response includes three headers:

- `X-RateLimit-Limit`: the number of links allowed in the current window
- `X-RateLimit-Remaining`: how many you can still create
- `X-RateLimit-Reset`: when the window resets

Add `-i` to see them with curl:

```bash
curl -i -d url=https://example.com https://api.blinkhop.com/v1/links
```

## When you hit a limit

The API answers with HTTP 429 and the error code `rate_limited`, plus a `Retry-After` header with the number of seconds to wait.

1. Wait for the time given in `Retry-After`, then retry.
2. Back off instead of retrying in a tight loop.
3. Store the short links you create instead of requesting them again.
4. For many URLs at once, send one `POST /links/bulk` request instead of many single requests. Each URL still counts toward the limit.

## Higher limits

Higher limits come with an API key, which is part of accounts (early access): 1,000 links per day with a free account, 50,000 links per month on Pro and 250,000 per month on Team. [Which plan do I need?](https://blinkhop.com/help/plans-and-billing) compares the plans, and the [API reference](https://blinkhop.com/docs/api) covers every endpoint.

Still stuck? [Contact us](https://blinkhop.com/contact).