OpenClaw Rate Limit Exceeded — Fix & Troubleshooting Guide

What Does “Rate Limit Exceeded” Mean?

A “rate limit exceeded” error means your AI agent hit the maximum number of requests allowed by an API provider within a given time window. API providers enforce rate limits to prevent abuse, manage server load, and ensure fair usage across all customers.

When your OpenClaw agent makes too many requests — whether to a model provider like OpenRouter or OpenAI, a search API like Tavily, or a ClawHub skill — the provider temporarily blocks further requests and returns a rate limit error (usually HTTP 429).

Common Rate Limit Sources

Several different services can trigger rate limit errors in your OpenClaw setup. Here are the most common sources:

How to Fix Rate Limit Errors

Follow these steps to resolve “rate limit exceeded” errors:

1. Check which provider is rate-limited — Look at the error message in your agent logs. It will usually name the service (e.g., “OpenRouter rate limit exceeded” or “429 Too Many Requests”).
2. Wait and retry — Most rate limits reset after a short window (60 seconds to a few minutes). Simply waiting before sending another request often resolves the issue.
3. Upgrade your plan — If you consistently hit limits, upgrade to a paid tier on the provider's platform for higher quotas.
4. Switch to a different model or provider — Some models have more generous limits than others. Check the model comparison page to find alternatives.

OpenRouter Rate Limits

OpenRouter is the default model provider for OpenClaw agents. Rate limits on OpenRouter vary by model and are based on a credit system:

• Per-model limits — Each AI model has its own rate limits (requests per minute and tokens per minute). Popular models like Claude and GPT-4 may have stricter limits during peak usage.
• Credit-based system — OpenRouter uses credits to meter usage. When your credits run out, requests are rejected with a rate limit error.
• Check remaining credits — Visit your OpenRouter dashboard or use the API: GET /api/v1/auth/key returns your usage, limit, and limit_remaining.

If you see “rate limit exceeded” from OpenRouter, check your credit balance first. You may need to add more credits or switch to a less expensive model.

ClawHub Rate Limits

ClawHub enforces rate limits on skill downloads and API calls to protect infrastructure:

• Skill install/download — There is a limit on how many skills you can install in a short period. If you are bulk-installing skills, space out the requests.
• Skill API calls — Some skills that call external APIs (like search or image generation) have their own rate limits passed through from the upstream provider.

To fix ClawHub rate limit errors, wait a few minutes and retry. If the issue persists, check whether the specific skill has its own API key requirement — some skills use shared quotas that can fill up quickly.

Search API Rate Limits

Search skills like Tavily and Brave Search have monthly quotas:

• Tavily — Free tier allows 1,000 searches per month. After that, requests return a rate limit error until the quota resets.
• Brave Search — Free tier allows 2,000 queries per month. Similar behavior when the quota is exceeded.

Staying Under Search Limits

• Avoid asking your agent to “search the web” for every question — the model can often answer from its training data
• Use the built-in web search for basic lookups and save Tavily/Brave for research-heavy tasks
• Monitor your monthly usage on the provider dashboard
• Upgrade to a paid plan if you need more searches

Prevent Rate Limits

Proactive steps to avoid hitting rate limits in the first place:

• Use models with generous limits — Check the models page to compare rate limits across providers
• Spread requests over time — Avoid sending many messages in rapid succession. Give the agent a moment between complex tasks.
• Use a paid API tier — Free tiers have the strictest limits. Even a small paid plan significantly increases quotas.
• Use OpenClaw Launch managed hosting — OpenClaw Launch handles rate limiting automatically, with built-in retry logic and model fallback so you don't have to manage limits yourself.

Troubleshooting

“Rate Limit Exceeded” in Logs

If you see this error in your OpenClaw logs, here is how to identify the source:

• Check the error message — It usually includes the provider name or API endpoint that returned the 429 status
• Look at the request path — Model requests go to /api/v1/chat/completions, search requests go to the search provider's endpoint
• Check API dashboards — Log into OpenRouter, Tavily, or whichever provider you use and check your usage graphs
• Check timestamps — Rate limits often occur in bursts. If the errors cluster around a specific time, your agent may have been running a complex task with many sequential API calls

Repeated Rate Limits After Waiting

If you keep getting rate limit errors even after waiting:

• Your monthly quota may be exhausted (not just a per-minute limit) — check your provider dashboard
• Your API key may be shared across multiple agents, consuming the quota faster
• The provider may be experiencing capacity issues — check their status page

Rate Limits on OpenClaw Launch

When you deploy your AI agent through OpenClaw Launch, rate limiting is handled for you:

• Auto-retry — If a model provider returns a rate limit error, the platform automatically retries with exponential backoff
• Model fallback — If one model is rate-limited, traffic can be routed to an alternative model to keep your agent responsive
• Usage monitoring — Track your API usage from the dashboard without needing to check multiple provider portals
• Managed quotas — OpenClaw Launch's infrastructure distributes load across providers to minimize rate limit issues

See pricing for plans starting at $3/month with managed rate limiting included.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I getting “rate limit exceeded”?

Your AI agent sent too many requests to an API provider (like OpenRouter, OpenAI, or Tavily) within a short time window, or you have exhausted your monthly quota. Check the error message to identify which provider is returning the error, then either wait for the limit to reset or upgrade your plan.

How do I check my API rate limit?

Each provider has a dashboard where you can view your current usage and remaining quota. For OpenRouter, use GET /api/v1/auth/key to check your limit_remaining. For Tavily and Brave Search, log into their respective dashboards to see your monthly usage.

Does OpenClaw Launch handle rate limits?

Yes. OpenClaw Launch includes automatic retry logic and model fallback for rate limit errors. When a provider returns a 429 error, the platform retries with backoff and can route to an alternative model if needed, so your agent stays responsive.

Which AI model has the highest rate limit?

Rate limits vary by provider and plan tier. On OpenRouter, less popular or smaller models tend to have higher rate limits. OpenAI and Anthropic increase limits as you move to higher usage tiers. Check the model comparison page and each provider's documentation for current limits.

What's Next?

• Tavily search setup — Configure Tavily web search and manage your search quota
• Compare AI models — Find models with generous rate limits for your use case
• See pricing — Deploy with managed rate limiting, starting at $3/month
• OpenAI setup guide — Use OpenAI models directly with OpenClaw