AWS: ThrottlingException / Rate exceeded
You exceeded the request rate for an AWS API; retry with exponential backoff.
Seen on:
AWS
Meaning
Each AWS API has per-account/per-region rate limits. SDKs retry automatically a few times; persistent throttling means you need backoff, batching, or a quota increase.
Common causes
- Bursty calls (parallel Lambda invocations, loops)
- Polling APIs too frequently
- Shared account limits across services/teams
- Low service quota
⚡ Quick fix
- Enable adaptive retry mode (
AWS_RETRY_MODE=adaptive) - Batch requests and add jitter
- Cache results; reduce polling
- Request a quota increase in Service Quotas
Detailed fix by platform
AWS
- boto3:
Config(retries={"max_attempts": 10, "mode": "adaptive"}).
How to diagnose
- API — Which API and how many calls/sec?
- Quota — Current limit in Service Quotas?
🧠 Still stuck? Analyze your error
Paste the full message, response headers or stack trace — we'll detect the platform and point to the most likely cause.
Was this page helpful?
Report a correction or suggest an improvement
Last updated 2 Oct 2026