Core Concepts6 min read
Rate Limits and Quotas
How quotas are enforced and how to scale.
Two dimensions: monthly and per-second
Each plan has a monthly request quota AND a per-second rate limit. You hit whichever limit comes first.
Headers to respect
X-RateLimit-Limit, X-RateLimit-Remaining, X-RateLimit-Reset (Unix timestamp). When Remaining=0, wait until Reset before retrying.
Bursting on Pro+
Pro and higher plans allow short bursts up to 2× your steady-state rate (token bucket algorithm). Use bursts sparingly to stay within bounds.
Scaling beyond Mega
If you regularly hit Mega's limits, email sales@helix-api.com for custom enterprise rates with dedicated infrastructure.