---
title: "API Key Rate Limit & Errors"
description: "During the enforcement of the API key requirement, developers will expect the return errors listed, where an API key is not in use or exceeding the rate limit."
url: https://info.etherscan.com/api-return-errors/
tags: ["Developer"]
published: 2023-08-03
updated: 2026-06-21
---

# API Key Rate Limit & Errors

The Etherscan Developer APIs offer the Ethereum community accessible and consistent Ethereum data. These APIs are free for the community, with the following rate limits per Etherscan account:

-   1,000 records per call
-   5 calls per second
-   100,000 calls per day

Developers will expect to receive error messages listed, indicating situations where an API key is not in use or has exceeded the rate limit.

1.  The 5 calls/second rate limit is exceeded:

```
{"status":"0","message":"NOTOK","result":"Max rate limit reached"}
```

2.  An API request with a blank API Key or the default "YourApiKeyToken":

```
{"status":"1","message":"OK-Missing/Invalid API Key, rate limit of 1/5sec applied","result":"595623370144773018344492"}
```

3.  An API request with Invalid API Key:

```
{"status":"0","message":"NOTOK","result":"Invalid API Key"}
```

4.  API requests with Invalid API Key exceeding limit:

```
{"status":"0","message":"NOTOK","result":"Too many invalid api key attempts, please try again later"}
```

Responses:

```
Status: 1 - Ok , 0 - Not ok
```

```
Message: Ok - Success , Notok - Failed 
(Additional messages might be included based on scenarios.)
```

```
Result: Return the API results
```