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: The Muse
providerId: themuse
created: '2026-07-11'
modified: '2026-07-11'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Job Openings
- Jobs
- Careers
- Rate Limiting
- Quotas
description: >-
  The Muse public API enforces a fixed hourly request limit that depends on
  whether you send an api_key. Anonymous callers are limited to 500 requests per
  hour; registered callers that pass an api_key query parameter get 3,600
  requests per hour. Every response carries the current window state in the
  X-RateLimit-Remaining, X-RateLimit-Limit, and X-RateLimit-Reset headers.
  Exceeding the limit returns HTTP 403. List endpoints are additionally
  paginated at 20 results per page.
notes: >-
  Limits and headers were confirmed live during review - an unauthenticated
  request returned X-RateLimit-Limit 500 with X-RateLimit-Remaining and
  X-RateLimit-Reset (seconds until reset) present. Register an application and
  pass api_key to raise the ceiling to 3,600/hour. Contact api@themuse.com for
  higher access.
sources:
- https://www.themuse.com/developers/api/v2
responseCodes:
  throttled: 403
limits:
- name: Anonymous Requests
  scope: client
  metric: requests
  limit: 500 per hour
  notes: Applies when no api_key query parameter is supplied.
- name: Registered Requests
  scope: application
  metric: requests
  limit: 3600 per hour
  notes: Applies when a valid api_key query parameter is supplied.
- name: Page Size
  scope: request
  metric: results
  limit: 20 per page
  notes: List endpoints return at most 20 results per page; iterate with the page parameter.
headers:
- name: X-RateLimit-Limit
  description: Total requests allowed in the current window (500 anonymous, 3,600 registered).
- name: X-RateLimit-Remaining
  description: Requests remaining in the current window.
- name: X-RateLimit-Reset
  description: Seconds until the current rate-limit window resets.
policies:
- name: Register for Higher Limits
  description: Registering an application and passing an api_key raises the hourly limit from 500 to 3,600.
- name: Honor Reset Window
  description: On a 403, read X-RateLimit-Reset and back off until the window resets before retrying.
- name: Paginate Efficiently
  description: Use the page parameter and 20-per-page results to page through large result sets rather than hammering a single endpoint.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com