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 |
Related Reading |
📊 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.