Claude · error reference
Claude usage limit hit: what to do next
WHAT YOU SEE
A 429 / "you have hit your rate limit" response while Claude is actively working.
Where: Mid-task, typically with long contexts or heavy tool-calling loops.
01What it actually means
Short-window throttling rather than quota exhaustion. Token weight and request frequency both count.
Fixes you can apply now
- Reduce context: compact the conversation, drop unused files from the working set.
- Slow the loop - fewer automated retries per minute keeps you under the throttle.
Fallbacks while you are blocked
- Split the task across windows and write the plan down between runs.
LIVE FORECAST (SAME SOURCE AS HOME)
Built from the median drop interval, cooldown decay and live OpenAI incidents
Reset likelihood
72%
Countdown
-0d 2h 20m
Median cadence
3.0d