When a large number of triggers or actions occur within a short time span, they will be throttled (rate limited) to reduce their frequency.
This is due to rate limits imposed by Zapier and the apps you use, which restrict the number of API requests you can make within a specific time frame. Rate limits exist to ensure Zapier’s and the app’s infrastructure can efficiently serve all customers.
Zap rate limits
Instant triggers
On all paid Zapier plans, Zaps with instant triggers will be held if they exceed the following limit:
- 10,000 requests every 5 minutes per user.
Polling triggers
If you have a Free or trial Zapier plan, Zaps with polling triggers will be held if they exceed the following limit:
- 200 requests every 10 minutes per Zap.
NoteThe number of records that a polling trigger returns per poll is determined by the app. For example, an app may be designed to only retrieve the 100 most recent events, or only retrieve events created within the last 24 hours.
Flood protection for polling triggers
If you have 100+ events that trigger a Zap at once, Zapier will hold them for you and send you an email requesting you to confirm these actions should run. This helps to prevent a large number of actions from running by mistake and protects your task limit.
Once you confirm these should run, you can use the Replay feature to let them continue. Zapier processes these replayed Zap runs at a rate of 1 per second. For example, 1,000 Zap runs will take a little over 15 minutes to complete.
If you do not want these Zap runs to continue, you can delete them.
To ensure your Zaps aren't stopped by your apps' rate limits, Zapier may also spread out groups of tasks that trigger all at once.
NoteInstant triggers are not subject to flood protection, as each item is sent to the trigger individually. Some exceptions include Google Sheets and Google Calendar "New Event" and "Updated Event" instant triggers, which use both webhook and polling techniques.
Adjust the flood protection limit on a Zap
Available on plans:
Free
Pro
Team
Enterprise
You can enable a flood protection limit in each Zap to determine how many new events can be sent through your Zap before your tasks are held. The flood protection override setting has a maximum limit of 1,500 events at once.
To adjust the flood protection limit:
- Open your Zap in the Zap editor.
- In the left sidebar, click the advanced settings icon
. - Click the Flood protection dropdown menu to expand it, then select a limit number.
Note- If an app sets a maximum number of records to return per poll, Zapier will not exceed that number, even if your flood protection setting is higher.
- You may still experience rate limiting directly from the app even after you adjust the flood protection limit in Zapier.
App rate limits
Each app on Zapier has its own API limits and throttling mechanism. An app's rate limit is shared across all Zaps in your account.
Rate limits will vary depending on the app and app plan you are using. If you are using an app’s API heavily, you may need to contact the app to increase your usage.
Information about rate limits can be found in the Zapier Help Center by looking for an app’s “How to Get Started” article or in the app’s API documentation.
Learn more about rate limits for:
TipTo differentiate between an app error and a Zapier error, look for “Zapier” in the error message.
Private app rate limits
Private app rate limits are based on the private app owner’s current Zapier plan. When using private apps, Zap runs will be held if they exceed the following limits:
- Free and Professional plans: 100 requests every 60 seconds.
- Team and Enterprise plans: 5,000 requests every 60 seconds.
To increase your private app rate limit, you must reach out to your private app owner. The private app owner is likely the developer who shared access to the private app with you.
What happens if I exceed the limit
If a Zap step exceeds rate limits, you can:
- Replay the Zap run. This will retry the steps in your affected Zap runs.
- Add a Delay After Queue step to your Zap, which pauses actions for a specific time before running them. This will spread out the rate at which the Zap runs those actions.
- Adjust the flood protection limit for a Zap. You must have a paid Zapier plan.