| title | Rate limits for GitHub Copilot | ||
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| shortTitle | Rate limits | ||
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| intro | Learn about {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot %} rate limits and what to do if you are rate limited. | ||
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| contentType | concepts | ||
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Rate limiting is a mechanism used to control the number of requests a user or application can make in a given time period. {% data variables.product.github %} uses rate limits to ensure everyone has fair access to {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot %} and to protect against abuse.
When you hit a rate limit, you may temporarily lose access to certain {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot %} features or models, and you’ll see an error message informing you that you’ve been rate limited.
{% data variables.product.github %} enforces rate limits for several reasons.
- Capacity: There is a limited amount of computing power available to serve all {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} users. Rate limiting helps prevent the system from being overloaded.
- High usage: Popular features and models may receive bursts of requests. Rate limits ensure no single user or group can monopolize these resources.
- Fairness: Rate limits ensure that all users have equitable access to {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}.
- Abuse mitigation: Without rate limits, malicious actors could exploit {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}, leading to degraded service for everyone or even denial of service.
If you receive a rate limit error when using {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %}, you should:
- Wait and try again. Rate limits are temporary. Often, waiting a short period and trying again resolves the issue.
- Check your usage. If you’re making frequent or automated requests (for example, rapid-fire completions or large-scale usage), consider adjusting your usage pattern.
- Change your model. Preview models may have stricter rate limits due to limited capacity.
- Contact Support. If you’re repeatedly rate limited and believe it’s impacting legitimate use, contact {% data variables.contact.contact_support_page %} for assistance.
[!NOTE] Service-level rate limits should not affect typical {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot_short %} usage. However, if you’re heavily using preview models, you may encounter rate limits more frequently.