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: Helm
providerId: helm
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: false
tags:
  - Charts
  - Cloud Native
  - Container Orchestration
  - DevOps
  - Kubernetes
  - Package Manager
  - Open Source
  - Rate Limiting
notes: Helm is open-source software, not a hosted API. Rate limits are enforced not by the Helm project but
  by whichever chart repository or OCI registry the consumer points Helm at (Artifact Hub, GitHub Pages,
  Docker Hub, GHCR, Quay, JFrog Artifactory, Harbor, Bitnami, etc.). Consumers should consult the rate-limit
  documentation of those downstream hosts. This artifact captures only Helm-side resilience behavior.
sources:
  - https://helm.sh/docs/
  - https://github.com/helm/helm
limits:
  - tier: open-source
    name: Helm-Side Limits
    scope: client
    metric: varies
    limit: 'no client-side rate limiting; Helm respects whatever ceilings the upstream chart repository
      or OCI registry enforces'
    applies:
      - Helm Chart Repository API
    notes: Limits are imposed by the upstream host (e.g. Docker Hub anonymous pulls, GitHub raw download
      limits, Artifact Hub front-end caching) not by the Helm CLI itself.
policies:
  - name: Upstream Host Responsibility
    description: Any 429 / 503 response observed during 'helm pull', 'helm install', or 'helm repo update'
      originates from the upstream chart repository or OCI registry; consult that host's documentation.
  - name: Local Caching
    description: Helm caches the index.yaml of subscribed repositories locally; running 'helm repo update'
      only on demand reduces upstream pressure.
  - name: OCI Registry Authentication
    description: Authenticated pulls from OCI registries typically receive higher rate limits than anonymous
      pulls; configure 'helm registry login' to leverage your account-level limits.
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com