What does OpenAI API error 429 mean?

Rate limit reached or Slow down: you are sending requests too fast. Follow the Retry-After header and ramp up slowly · Credit balance exhausted: add credits · Spend or usage limit reached: raise the limit in organization or project settings. Retrying a billing or quota error does not restore access.

OpenAI API

openai.com

live

Is OpenAI API down right now?

OpenAI API is working

Responding normally and no problems reported. If you still can't get on, it's likely your connection or app. Try the steps below.

Reports·1h: 0
Server: OK
Response: 0.3s
Last checked: 5 hours ago

Answer: No OpenAI API issues reported in the last 24 hours, and it responded normally at our last check on 24 Oct 2026, 4:09 AM IST.

Report an issue

Our automated check runs from one or more locations and may miss in-app problems; reports come from users across India. We only call something "down" when users confirm it too. Here's how we check.

OpenAI API failing for you? Report it

Pick one. Developers in India report here.

Last 24 hours: 0 reports.

About OpenAI API

The OpenAI API lets developers add OpenAI models to their own apps, and the OpenAI Platform at platform.openai.com is where they manage it: API keys, projects, billing, credits, usage limits and logs. Indian startups and developers use it separately from the ChatGPT app.

When the API has trouble, requests fail with errors such as 429, 500 or 503, or the dashboard will not load. OpenAI posts incidents on its status page, status.openai.com.

Check status.openai.com OpenAI posts API and platform incidents there first.
Read the error code 401 is the key, 429 is limits or credits, 500 and 503 are on OpenAI's side.
Respect Retry-After Back off for the time the header gives before sending again.
Check credits and limits In platform settings, confirm prepaid credits and organization and project spend limits.

Other ways to access OpenAI API

Retry with backoff For 500 and 503 errors, wait and retry with growing gaps instead of failing at once.
Try another model If one model is overloaded with 503 errors, a different model in your project may still respond.
Queue non-urgent jobs Hold background requests and send them once the status page shows recovery.
Contact OpenAI support Help Center chat and the status page are on our OpenAI API support page.

Official channels during an outage: X · Instagram · YouTube · LinkedIn · Website

Questions

Check the status card at the top for our live check and developer reports from India. OpenAI also lists API incidents on its own page, status.openai.com.

If many developers report at once, or status.openai.com shows an incident, OpenAI is facing a technical issue. Retry after a short wait.

If only your app fails, read the error code: 401 points to the key, 429 to limits or credits, and 500 or 503 to OpenAI's side.

Rate limit reached or Slow down: you are sending requests too fast. Follow the Retry-After header and ramp up slowly.
Credit balance exhausted: add credits.
Spend or usage limit reached: raise the limit in organization or project settings.

Retrying a billing or quota error does not restore access.

500 means OpenAI's servers hit an error while handling your request. 503 means the model is temporarily overloaded. For both, wait briefly, follow any Retry-After header, and check the status page if it continues.

A 401 error means the key or organization is wrong. Check the API key and organization in your code, or generate a new key. It can also mean your account is not in an organization, or your IP is not on the project's allowlist.

OpenAI returns it when a request comes from a country, region or territory the API does not support. OpenAI's error codes guide links to its list of supported regions.

No. API calls use your organization's prepaid credits. When they run out, requests fail with 429 credit balance exhausted until you add more.

429 tab aata hai jab requests bahut tezi se ja rahi hon, ya credits aur spend limit khatam ho jaaye. Retry-After header ke hisaab se ruk kar dobara bhejiye, ya credits aur limit badhaiye.

Yes, tap download on the status card at the top to save a server down image showing OpenAI API's current status, the last checked time, and how many users are reporting problems.