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: LooksRare
providerId: looksrare
created: '2026-06-13'
modified: '2026-06-13'
tags:
  - NFT
  - Marketplace
  - Ethereum
  - Rate Limiting
  - Throttling
description: >-
  Rate limit envelope for the LooksRare public REST API. A 10-second server-side
  response cache is applied to all endpoints — repeated identical requests within
  10 seconds will return cached data. Default rate limits apply to all API keys;
  elevated limits are available by request via the developer Discord for
  production applications. The Retry-After response header is sent with all
  HTTP 429 responses.
headers:
  retryAfter: Retry-After
responseCodes:
  throttled: 429
  quotaExceeded: 429
  serviceUnavailable: 500
limits:
  - tier: default
    name: Default (All API Keys)
    scope: api-key
    metric: requests_per_second
    limit: null
    burst: null
    timeFrame: second
    applies:
      - https://api.looksrare.org/api
    description: >-
      Exact default request-per-second limits are not publicly documented by
      LooksRare. A 10-second response cache is in place across all endpoints.
      Requests that exceed the undisclosed threshold receive HTTP 429 with a
      Retry-After header. Contact the developer Discord to understand current
      limits for your API key.

  - tier: default
    name: Response Cache Window
    scope: endpoint
    metric: cache_seconds
    limit: 10
    timeFrame: seconds
    applies:
      - https://api.looksrare.org/api
    description: >-
      LooksRare applies a 10-second cache to API responses. Clients making
      identical requests within this window will receive the same cached payload.
      Design polling loops to respect this cadence.

  - tier: elevated
    name: Elevated (By Request)
    scope: api-key
    metric: requests_per_second
    limit: null
    burst: null
    timeFrame: second
    applies:
      - https://api.looksrare.org/api
    description: >-
      Higher rate limits are available upon request for production applications
      via the developer Discord. Approval is unlikely for applications still in
      development. Final limits are negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

  - tier: testnet
    name: Sepolia Testnet (No Key Required)
    scope: ip
    metric: requests_per_second
    limit: null
    timeFrame: second
    applies:
      - https://api-sepolia.looksrare.org/api
    description: >-
      The Sepolia testnet endpoint requires no API key and is intended for
      integration development and testing. Rate limits apply but are not
      publicly documented.

recoveryStrategies:
  - name: Honour Retry-After
    description: When HTTP 429 is received, wait the number of seconds in the Retry-After response header before retrying.
  - name: Respect Cache Window
    description: Avoid making identical requests more than once every 10 seconds; the server cache will return the same response and consume quota unnecessarily.
  - name: Exponential Backoff
    description: If Retry-After is absent or unclear, back off exponentially starting at 2s up to a 30s ceiling.
  - name: Use Pagination Cursor
    description: Use cursor-based pagination (pagination[cursor]) rather than re-fetching from the first page to reduce total request volume.

notes:
  - The Retry-After header was added to 429 responses for token refresh operations in January 2023.
  - Pagination for GET /v2/orders and GET /v2/events accepts pagination[first] (max 150, default 20) and pagination[cursor] (order or event ID).
  - For write operations (POST /v2/orders), a mainnet API key obtained via the developer Discord is required.