Rate limits

Sendbird applications are rate-limited to ensure the best experience for users. If you exceed a rate limit, Sendbird server will return an error message that includes the encountered rate limit as well as how long you should wait before retrying.

Note : Sendbird organizations created after May 28, 2020, 00:00:00 UTC are automatically rate-limited, while those created before this date will be given sufficient time to adjust their applications before rate limits apply. Go to the Settings > Application > General on the Sendbird Dashboard to see which rate limits your organizations are subject to. If you need a higher rate limit for API requests, contact our sales team for further assistance.

Rate limits apply to the SDK methods associated with objects including channel, user, message objects, and more. For example, a user can send up to 5 messages per second to an open or group channel. The following table lists the default rate limits per user.

Note : As for open channels, a separate rate limit is applied. They can display only 5 messages per second and excess messages are stored in our database, but not shown in the channel view.

Some real-time events taking place on client apps are rate-limited in order to sustain stable operation. The following table lists the default rate limits for those events.

Note : Limits on sending typing indicator to channel members apply to both users and channels.

When a request is rate-limited, a RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED (500910) or TOO_MANY_MESSAGES (900200) error will be returned.

Note : See the Error codes page for more information.