specification: API Commons Rate Limits
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/RateLimits
provider: DefiLlama
providerId: defillama
created: '2026-05-08'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-08, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-08'
reconciled: false
tags:
  - DeFi
  - Crypto
  - Rate Limiting
description: >-
  DefiLlama operates the Public API on a fair-use basis without published per-key limits;
  empirically allows around 300 requests per minute per IP. The Pro API documents a higher rate
  limit (typically 1,000 requests per minute) tied to the API key. Throttled requests return HTTP 429.
notes: Free Public API rate limit is best-effort fair-use; Pro rate is reconciled from public
  pricing materials and may change.
sources:
  - https://defillama.com/docs/api
  - https://defillama.com/pro-api
responseCodes:
  throttled: 429
limits:
  - name: Public API (fair use)
    scope: ip
    metric: requests_per_minute
    limit: 300
    notes: Soft fair-use limit; not contractually guaranteed.
  - name: Pro API
    scope: api_key
    metric: requests_per_minute
    limit: 1000
    notes: Documented Pro rate limit.
policies:
  - name: Caching
    description: Cache TVL responses where possible; DefiLlama updates many endpoints on a 1-hour cycle.
  - name: Backoff Strategy
    description: On 429 honor Retry-After and apply exponential backoff with jitter.
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com