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API Limits

Understand API limits to optimize your integrations

Peter Novosel avatar
Written by Peter Novosel
Updated over 2 months ago

SmartSuite’s REST API gives you powerful access to your workspace’s data, enabling custom integrations and workflows. To keep the platform secure and high-performing, API usage is governed by request and rate limits based on your plan.

Plan Availability

All plan types with varying limitations

Permissions

Administrators – Manage usage settings, monitor overages, and control auto-billing in Workspace Administration

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📊 API Limits by Plan

Monthly Request Limits

Plan

Full-Speed Requests

Maximum Requests (at 2/sec)

Free

100

N/A

Team

5,000

6,250

Professional

50,000

62,500

Enterprise

250,000

312,500

  • Limits reset at the start of each billing month.

  • “Maximum Requests” refers to the cap reached with throttling applied (2 requests/sec per user).


🚦 Request Rate Limits

Status

Rate Limit

Under monthly limit

5 requests/second per user

After exceeding plan limit

2 requests/second per user

After 125% of plan limit

API access disabled until reset

  • API rate limits are tracked per user but contribute to the workspace-wide monthly quota.

  • You can increase your limit by purchasing an API call add-on (see below) or upgrading to the Professional or Enterprise plan.


🆕 NEW: API Calls Add-On

SmartSuite now offers an optional add-on to extend API usage beyond your plan’s monthly quota.

Add-On Details

  • Cost: $15 per additional 1,000 API calls

  • Auto-billing toggle: Managed in Workspace Administration > Usage tab

  • Add-on usage monitoring: View detailed usage, including API calls triggered by SmartSuite integration partners (e.g., Zapier, Make, Ply, Softr), when available

  • No carry-over: Unused API calls from the add-on do not roll over to the next month

Auto-Billing Toggle Options

Toggle Setting

Result

Enabled

Additional API calls are automatically billed in 1,000-call increments

Disabled

API usage is throttled at 2/sec up to 125% of your plan's limit, then blocked


🔁 How API Throttling Works

  • Each authenticated user has their own rate limit:

    • 5/sec if under the plan’s limit

    • 2/sec if over the plan’s limit (up to 125%)

  • API metering is done per second (e.g., 4:50:01 and 4:50:02 are separate windows)

    Example:

    • User A and User B can each make 5 requests/sec simultaneously if the workspace is within limits

    • All users’ requests count toward the workspace’s shared quota


⚠️ Exceeding API Limits

  • When the workspace exceeds its monthly API quota:

    • Throttle applied: Request speed drops to 2/sec per user

    • Hard cap at 125%: Further calls are blocked with a 429 Too Many Requests error

  • Retry delays apply when exceeding rate limits (e.g., 30 seconds if spamming over 5/sec)


💡 Why API Limits Exist

API limits help:

  • Ensure platform performance for all users

  • Prevent abuse or accidental overload

  • Protect against security threats like denial-of-service (DoS) attacks


✅ Practical Scenarios and Use Cases

1. Scaling Integrations with External Tools

Scenario: Your team uses Zapier to sync CRM data with SmartSuite and hits the API call limit mid-month.

Solution: Enable the API Calls Add-On to continue integrations smoothly without interruption.


2. Preventing Access Disruptions

Scenario: A developer team automates task creation and suddenly loses API access.

Solution: Admins can view usage in the Usage tab and turn on auto-billing to avoid hitting the hard stop at 125%.


3. Managing API Budget and Control

Scenario: A workspace wants to avoid unexpected charges and closely monitor third-party API usage.

Solution: Keep the auto-billing toggle off and use the Usage tab to track and throttle usage before reaching the limit.

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