Codex · error reference
Codex usage limit hit: what to do next
WHAT YOU SEE
HTTP 429 / "rate limit exceeded" returned by the Codex API or CLI.
Where: Mid-session, usually right after a burst of parallel or rapid-fire requests.
01What it actually means
You tripped a short-window request throttle. This is separate from the weekly/rolling message allowance and clears much faster.
Fixes you can apply now
- Retry with exponential backoff; respect the retry-after hint instead of retrying instantly.
- Cut concurrency: run one agent stream at a time instead of several in parallel.
- Trim context. Huge prompts and long histories push you toward the throttle faster.
Fallbacks while you are blocked
- Queue non-urgent work locally and resume once the throttle window passes.
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