You Have Exceeded a Secondary Rate Limit: Github Error Explained
Experiencing the “You Have Exceeded a Secondary Rate Limit” error on GitHub can be confusing and frustrating—especially when you’re in the middle of a workflow, deployment, automation script, or API-based integration. This error generally appears when GitHub detects unusually high request volumes or patterns that could impact platform stability. Because GitHub enforces strict rate limits to ensure fairness and performance, developers, teams, and automation tools often run into this limitation unintentionally. In this guide, we will break down what this message means, why it happens, and how you can fix and prevent it.
This in-depth guide explores the causes, solutions, prevention methods, and best practices for avoiding the “You Have Exceeded a Secondary Rate Limit. GitHub” error. Whether you're a solo developer or running CI/CD pipelines, you'll leave with a complete action plan to keep your GitHub operations running smoothly.
What Does “You Have Exceeded a Secondary Rate Limit” Mean?
GitHub imposes two types of rate limits to protect its platform: primary and secondary. While primary rate limits focus on the number of API requests per hour, secondary rate limits target patterns of behavior, such as too many identical requests sent in a short time. The secondary limit is designed to prevent abuse, reduce server strain, and maintain fair usage.
The message occurs when GitHub detects:
- Too many repeated API calls
- Large bursts of requests sent in a very short timeframe
- Automated scripts hammering the API
- Workflows or bots triggering unnecessary synchronized actions
- Pulling repository metadata repeatedly within seconds
Even if you stay within GitHub’s hourly API limit, you may still trigger the secondary rate limit if your request patterns appear excessive. This is why many developers find the error confusing—because it’s not tied to the usual 5,000 requests/hour API cap.
Common Causes of the Secondary Rate Limit on GitHub
The secondary rate limit can be triggered by many behaviors, especially in automated environments. Some of the most common causes include:
1. Running Too Many Workflows at Once
Large teams or repositories with many PR triggers may cause multiple CI runs, each hammering the API simultaneously.
2. Automated Tools Polling GitHub Too Frequently
Bots or scripts that constantly check for updates (commits, issues, branches) can trigger the limit even with minimal data pulled.
3. CI/CD Pipelines Using Loops or Repeated Calls
Poorly optimized pipelines often make unnecessary API calls—especially in iterative processes.
4. Fetching Metadata Too Often
Requesting rate limits, repo metadata, or commit statuses repeatedly can appear suspicious to GitHub.
5. Using Unauthorized or Misconfigured Tokens
Tokens with limited scopes or used across multiple high-volume systems can trigger restrictive rate monitoring.
How GitHub Enforces Secondary Rate Limits
GitHub uses automated systems to protect its infrastructure. These systems monitor the frequency, volume, and pattern of API requests. When suspicious traffic is detected, GitHub temporarily blocks further requests—usually returning:
403 Forbidden You have exceeded a secondary rate limit. Please wait a few minutes before you try again.The block duration varies but typically lasts between 1 and 30 minutes depending on the request volume and severity.
How to Fix “You Have Exceeded a Secondary Rate Limit”
Thankfully, there are multiple strategies for resolving this error—even if it keeps happening in your workflow or automation environment.
1. Add Exponential Backoff in Your API Requests
Instead of retrying immediately (which worsens the problem), implement exponential backoff logic:
- Retry after 1 second
- Then 2 seconds
- Then 4 seconds
- Then 8 seconds
- And so on…
This signals to GitHub that your system behaves responsibly under rate constraints.
2. Batch API Calls Instead of Sending Many Single Requests
Batching operations reduces load and helps keep your requests under the radar. For example, instead of fetching multiple issues one by one, fetch them in a single paginated request.
3. Reduce Redundant API Calls in Workflows
Review your CI/CD pipelines and remove repeated API queries. Add caching where possible.
4. Cache Responses to Minimize Repeated Requests
Store common responses locally—for example:
- Repository metadata
- Branch lists
- Rate limit data
Caching drastically reduces your request count.
5. Use GitHub Apps Instead of Personal Access Tokens
GitHub Apps distribute rate limits across installations, giving you higher usage capacity and reducing false triggers.
6. Spread API Calls Across Multiple Tokens
This helps particularly for organizations running numerous parallel workflows.
7. Tune or Delay Your CI/CD Workflow Triggers
Avoid using redundant triggers such as:
on: pushfor every branchon: workflow_dispatchexecuted too frequently- Multiple PR workflows running on same event
Instead, selectively enable only what’s needed.
8. Switch to GitHub Enterprise for Increased Limits
Enterprise plans offer higher API thresholds and better resource allocation.
Best Practices to Prevent Secondary Rate Limits Forever
To avoid recurring errors, follow these long-term preventative practices.
1. Use Conditional API Requests
GitHub supports If-None-Match headers to avoid retrieving unchanged data.
2. Keep Your Tokens Clean and Dedicated
Avoid reusing a single personal token across multiple automation tools, teams, or servers.
3. Clean and Optimize Your GitHub Workflows
Perform a workflow audit and remove unnecessary steps that call GitHub services.
4. Limit Polling and Use Webhooks
Instead of checking GitHub constantly, allow GitHub to push updates to your app.
5. Use the GraphQL API Where Possible
GraphQL allows you to retrieve all needed data in a single request.
6. Monitor Your API Usage
Periodically check your request frequency:
curl -I https://api.github.comKeep logs of how your applications interact with GitHub.
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FAQs About “You Have Exceeded a Secondary Rate Limit” on GitHub
1. How long does GitHub secondary rate limiting last?
Usually between 1 and 30 minutes. Severe cases may last longer, depending on request patterns.
2. Does this error mean I exceeded the main API rate limit?
No. Secondary rate limits are about request patterns and bursts, not the total hourly count.
3. How do I check my GitHub rate limit usage?
curl -I https://api.github.comThis returns your current rate usage and limits.
4. Can this error appear even when using CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions?
Yes. GitHub Actions frequently triggers the error because of automated parallel requests.
5. Will upgrading my GitHub plan increase my secondary rate limits?
Yes. Higher-tier and enterprise plans receive more generous rate thresholds.
6. What is the fastest way to fix the error?
Stop all automated processes, wait a few minutes, and then re-run your workflow with backoff logic in place.
7. Does using GraphQL instead of the REST API help?
Absolutely. GraphQL is optimized for large data retrieval and reduces API load significantly.
Final Thoughts
The “You Have Exceeded a Secondary Rate Limit. GitHub” error may feel restrictive, but it plays an essential role in keeping GitHub reliable and secure. By understanding how these limits work—and optimizing your APIs, workflows, scripts, and CI/CD pipelines—you can eliminate interruptions and maintain a smoother development lifecycle.
Use the strategies in this guide to troubleshoot the problem, prevent future triggers, and implement long-term scalability in your GitHub automation systems. With proper request management and workflow optimization, your development process will remain fast, efficient, and uninterrupted.
