# Published rate limits for the Linktree programmatic surface.
generated: '2026-08-13'
method: searched
source: https://mcp.linktr.ee/.well-known/mcp/tools.json
docs: https://mcp.linktr.ee/docs
surface: mcp-only
limit_count: 0
limits: []
note: >-
  Linktree documents that a rate limit EXISTS but publishes no number. The MCP tool manifest and
  the tool reference both declare a `RATE_LIMITED` error code — "The caller exceeded the public
  MCP rate limit. Retry after backing off." — with no ceiling, no window, no scope, and no reset
  value anywhere in the published contract. An agent therefore cannot budget its calls; it can
  only discover the limit by hitting it. limit_count is 0 because zero numeric limits are
  published, not because the API is unlimited.
signal:
  documented: true
  mechanism: error-code
  code: RATE_LIMITED
  transport: mcp-tool-result
  envelope: '{ "error": "RATE_LIMITED", "message": "<human-readable>" }'
  is_error_flag: isError
  guidance: "Retry after backing off."
  retry_after_value_published: false
headers:
  published: false
  observed: []
  checked:
    - name: RateLimit / RateLimit-Policy (RFC 9331 draft)
      present: false
    - name: X-RateLimit-Limit / X-RateLimit-Remaining / X-RateLimit-Reset
      present: false
    - name: Retry-After
      present: false
  probe:
    url: https://mcp.linktr.ee/mcp
    method: POST
    body: '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/list"}'
    http_status: 401
    response_headers_of_note:
      - 'www-authenticate: Bearer resource_metadata="https://mcp.linktr.ee/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource"'
    note: >-
      The endpoint is OAuth-gated, so an unauthenticated probe cannot observe rate-limit headers
      on a successful call. The 401 challenge carries none. Confirming whether headers are emitted
      on authenticated traffic requires a Linktree account token.
status_code_on_exhaustion:
  http: null
  note: >-
    MCP errors are returned as a tool result with isError:true and HTTP 200, not as an HTTP
    status. There is no documented 429 on this surface.
entitlement_limits:
  documented: true
  mechanism: error-code
  code: UPGRADE_REQUIRED
  field: freeAccountLimitations
  detail: >-
    Distinct from rate limiting: plan entitlement. Several analytics options (device, location,
    referrer, per-link, subscriber breakdowns, custom date ranges) are gated to paid plans and
    return UPGRADE_REQUIRED rather than RATE_LIMITED.
  see: plans/linktree-plans-pricing.yml
other_surfaces:
  - surface: Arbor registry
    url: https://arbor.linktr.ee/
    limits_published: false
    note: >-
      The public component registry (manifest.json, /r/{name}.json, /health) publishes no rate
      limits and returned no rate-limit headers on anonymous GETs.
see:
  - conventions/linktree-conventions.yml
  - errors/linktree-error-codes.yml