> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://devshine-cbff6863.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quotas and usage

> BrandsAPI includes usage quotas and request limits to help developers manage API consumption.

BrandsAPI includes usage quotas and request limits to help developers manage API consumption and keep the service reliable for all users.

When you create a free developer account, you receive **100 free API requests** to test your integration and explore brand data.
If your application needs more requests, you can upgrade to a paid plan.

## Check your API quota

After upgrading, you can confirm your available quota through the API response headers.
Use the following response header to check your quota:

* `x-api-key-quota`

This header shows the request quota available for your API key.

## Check monthly usage

To monitor your current month’s API usage, check the following response header:

* `x-api-key-approximate-usage`

This header helps you track how many requests your API key has used during the current billing period.

## Quota warnings

BrandsAPI helps you stay informed before your quota runs out.
When your account reaches **80% of its monthly quota**, we will send an email warning so you can review usage or upgrade your plan if needed.

## Quota limit response

If your API key reaches its allowed quota, the API will return the following HTTP status code:

* `429 Too Many Requests`

This means your quota has been reached and additional requests cannot be processed until your quota resets or your plan is upgraded.

## Request throughput limits

In addition to monthly usage quotas, BrandsAPI applies request throughput limits to protect the service from abuse and maintain stable performance.
By default, API requests are limited to:

* `100` requests per second sustained traffic
* `30,000` requests per rolling 5-minute window as a hard limit

Some short bursts may be supported, but requests that exceed the throughput limit may be rejected.

## Throughput limit response

If your application exceeds the request throughput limit, the API will return:

* `429 Too Many Requests`

To avoid this, use proper retry logic, request pacing, and caching where possible.

## Higher throughput limits

If your use case requires higher request volume or increased throughput, contact the BrandsAPI team to discuss custom limits.