# Rate Limits

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API requests are rate limited to keep usage fair and the platform stable.

| Plan | Verification requests | Read requests | Max emails per bulk job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free (default) | 10 / min | 60 / min | 100 |
| Paid (MailValid Plus or pay-as-you-go) | 200 / min | 800 / min | 10,000 |

Limits apply per API key. **Verification requests** are writes (`POST /verify/single`, `POST /verify/bulk`). **Read requests** are the polling endpoints (`GET /verify/bulk/{id}`, `GET /credits`), so status polling never uses up your verification budget. The keyless demo endpoint (`POST /api/demo/verify`) is limited to 30 requests per minute per IP.

When you hit a limit, the API returns `429 Too Many Requests`. Back off and retry after the number of seconds in the `Retry-After` header.

Need higher limits? Email [sachin@mailvalid.io](mailto:sachin@mailvalid.io) about custom rate limits on higher-volume plans.

## Rate limit headers

All responses include rate limit information:

| Header | Description |
|---|---|
| `X-RateLimit-Limit` | Maximum requests allowed in the current window |
| `X-RateLimit-Remaining` | Remaining requests in the current window |
| `Retry-After` | Seconds until the rate limit resets (when limited) |