Claude Code API Error 429 rate limited: how to fix it

The error text

API Error: 429 {"type":"error","error":{"type":"rate_limit_error","message":"..."}}

What it means

Pay-as-you-go API usage has no 5-hour or weekly allowance, but it does have rate and concurrency limits. When a burst of requests goes over them, the extra requests get 429 and can be retried shortly after.

Step-by-step fix

1. 1. Lower parallelism

   Close extra Claude Code sessions and ask for fewer parallel subagents. Scripts and CI jobs sharing the same key count too.

2. 2. Wait and retry

   Pause briefly and send the message again.

3. 3. Split keys

   Give each teammate or pipeline its own key so one busy job is easy to spot in usage records.

4. 4. Check balance and caps

   If the error mentions balance or a spend cap instead, top up or raise the key's cap.

How to avoid it

• •Keep the number of concurrent agents modest.
• •Add retry with backoff to scripts and CI.
• •Use /compact and /clear so each turn sends less context.

Are failed requests charged?

Failed requests (4xx/5xx, timeouts, dropped connections) are not charged — you're only billed for requests that complete successfully. If an upstream failure is automatically retried and succeeds, you're billed once.

Still failing?

• •Check the model's page on aicodewith: it shows recent health for each channel.
• •Look up the request in your dashboard usage records to see its model, status and cost.
• •Email support@aicodewith.com with the time of the error, the model and the error text (never your full API key).

Model status and pricesContact supportDocs

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