> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.eluup.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# ELUUP AI API Rate Limits

> Understand ELUUP AI API rate limits by plan, response headers, and best practices for signals polling and real-time streaming.

ELUUP AI enforces rate limits to ensure fair usage and platform stability. Limits vary by subscription plan and apply to REST API calls. Server-Sent Event (SSE) streams for signals do not count toward your REST rate limit.

## Rate Limits by Plan

| Plan       | Requests per Minute | Notes                                                          |
| ---------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Free       | 60                  | Suitable for prototyping and personal dashboards.              |
| Pro        | 300                 | Built for active traders running multiple agents.              |
| Enterprise | Custom              | Contact sales for dedicated throughput and higher concurrency. |

<Note>
  Upgrading your plan increases the limit immediately. Downgrades take effect at the next billing cycle.
</Note>

## Rate Limit Headers

Every REST API response includes headers that show your current usage. Inspect these to decide when to back off.

| Header                  | Description                                         |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| `X-RateLimit-Limit`     | Maximum requests allowed per minute for your plan.  |
| `X-RateLimit-Remaining` | Number of requests remaining in the current window. |
| `X-RateLimit-Reset`     | Unix timestamp when the rate limit window resets.   |

### Example Response Headers

```http theme={null}
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
X-RateLimit-Limit: 300
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 287
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1722500000
```

## 429 Rate Limited Response

When you exceed your limit, the API returns 429 with a JSON body and the same headers.

```json theme={null}
{
  "error": {
    "code": "rate_limited",
    "message": "You have exceeded the rate limit. Please retry after 42 seconds."
  }
}
```

```http theme={null}
HTTP/1.1 429 Too Many Requests
X-RateLimit-Limit: 300
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 0
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1722500042
```

## Best Practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Cache Signals Locally" icon="database">
    Store the latest signal data in your application state instead of polling on every UI refresh.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use SSE for Real-Time" icon="broadcast-tower">
    Subscribe to `GET /signals/stream` for live updates. SSE streams do not count toward REST rate limits.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Respect Headers" icon="gauge-high">
    Read `X-RateLimit-Remaining` and pause requests before you hit zero.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Back Off on 429" icon="clock">
    Wait until `X-RateLimit-Reset` before retrying, or use exponential backoff with jitter.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Polling vs. Streaming Example

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python (Polling - counts toward limit) theme={null}
  import requests, time

  while True:
      resp = requests.get(
          "https://api.eluup.ai/v1/signals",
          headers={"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"}
      )
      data = resp.json()
      print("Remaining:", resp.headers.get("X-RateLimit-Remaining"))
      time.sleep(5)  # 12 req/min -- safe for Pro
  ```

  ```python Python (SSE - does NOT count toward limit) theme={null}
  import requests

  resp = requests.get(
      "https://api.eluup.ai/v1/signals/stream",
      headers={"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"},
      stream=True
  )
  for line in resp.iter_lines():
      if line:
          print(line.decode("utf-8"))
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Tip>
  For production trading integrations, use the SSE signal stream to receive buy and sell signals in real time without consuming your REST quota.
</Tip>