Rate limits
Sendbird applications are rate-limited to ensure the best experience for users. If you exceed a rate limit, the Sendbird server will return an error message that includes the encountered rate limit as well as how long you should wait before retrying.
Note : Sendbird organizations created after May 28, 2020, 00:00:00 UTC are automatically rate-limited, while those created before this date are given sufficient time to adjust their applications before rate limits apply. Go to Settings > Application > General on Sendbird Dashboard to see which rate limits your organizations are subject to. If you need a higher rate limit for API requests, contact our sales team for further assistance.
Default settings
To prevent abnormal user activity, Sendbird application has the following default limits on the number of messages per second which a user can send and an open channel can display.
Limits on messages per second
| Imposed on | Limit | If exceeded |
|---|---|---|
Five messages per second | Excess messages are neither sent to the channel nor saved in the database but are displayed in the user's channel view. | |
Five messages per second | Excess messages aren't displayed but saved in the database. |
Rate-limited methods
Rate limits apply to SDK methods associated with objects including channel, user, message, and more. For example, a user can send up to five messages per second to an open channel or a group channel. The following table lists the default rate limits per user.
Limits on SDK methods
| SDK method | Calls per second | Calls per minute |
|---|---|---|
Listing objects | 20 | 120 |
Retrieving objects | 20 | 120 |
Creating objects | 10 | 120 |
Updating objects | 10 | 120 |
Deleting objects | 10 | 120 |
Profile image upload | 2 | 40 |
File upload | 4 | 60 |
Updating channel metacounter | 20 | 400 |
Rate-limited real-time events
Several real-time events taking place in client apps are rate-limited in order to maintain stable and efficient operation. The following table lists the default rate limits for those events.
Limits on events
| Event | Calls per second |
|---|---|
Sending a message | 5 |
Marking messages as read | 3 |
Sending typing indicator to other members | 0.1 |
Other events | 3 |
Error responses
When a request is rate-limited, a RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED (500910) or TOO_MANY_MESSAGES (900200) error is returned. See the error codes page for more information.