Rate Limits

GTMData enforces rate limits to ensure reliable performance for all users. Limits vary by plan tier and apply per API key.

Limits by Plan

Plan	Requests / Minute	Requests / Day
Free	10	100
Starter	60	5,000
Growth	120	20,000
Pro	200	50,000
Business	300	75,000
Scale	500	150,000
Enterprise	1,000	500,000

Note: Batch endpoints count as a single request regardless of how many items are included. A batch of 500 emails counts as 1 request toward your rate limit.

Rate Limit Headers

Every API response includes headers to help you track your usage:

Header	Description
`X-RateLimit-Limit`	Maximum requests allowed in the current window
`X-RateLimit-Remaining`	Number of requests remaining in the current window
`X-RateLimit-Reset`	Unix timestamp (seconds) when the current window resets
`Retry-After`	Seconds to wait before retrying (only present on 429 responses)

Handling 429 Responses

When you exceed the rate limit, the API returns a 429 Too Many Requests response. Use the Retry-After header to determine when to retry.

429 Response

HTTP/1.1 429 Too Many Requests
Content-Type: application/json
Retry-After: 12
X-RateLimit-Limit: 60
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 0
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1743868812

{
  "error": "rate_limit_exceeded",
  "message": "Too many requests. Please retry after 12 seconds."
}

Python Retry Example

import time
import requests

def call_with_retry(url, headers, json, max_retries=3):
    for attempt in range(max_retries):
        resp = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=json)
        if resp.status_code == 429:
            wait = int(resp.headers.get("Retry-After", 10))
            time.sleep(wait)
            continue
        return resp
    raise Exception("Rate limit exceeded after retries")

Best Practices

Use batch endpoints. Instead of making 500 individual validate calls, send a single batch request with 500 emails. This counts as 1 request against your rate limit.

Use the Jobs API for large lists. Async jobs bypass per-minute rate limits entirely. Submit your list and get results via polling or webhook.

Implement exponential backoff. When you receive a 429, wait the duration specified in Retry-After, then retry. If you hit the limit again, double the wait time.

Monitor your headers. Check X-RateLimit-Remaining proactively and throttle your requests before hitting the limit.

Tip: Need higher rate limits? Contact us at support@gtmdata.com or upgrade to a higher plan tier.