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# API limit management

> Manage your account's API call limit through the API Usage Center.

Each account has an hourly API call limit, which is the maximum number of calls permitted from all apps associated with the account. The default limit is 3,000 calls per hour. If the account exceeds this, calls will be blocked until the start of the next hour.  [Improving app efficiency](/tools/api-usage-center#api_efficiency) can often keep your account within the limit. If you’ve optimized efficiency and your account continues to exceed the limit, you can increase it in the [API Usage Center](/tools/api-usage-center). The limit management feature enables account administrators to change the hourly limit without Docusign intervention. The update takes effect within minutes, so you can respond quickly to changes in business volume.

Limit updates apply to calls to the eSignature REST API and the eSignature SOAP API. For example, if you increase the limit to 5,000, the total number of calls per hour, including both REST and SOAP calls, cannot exceed 5,000.

> **Note:** Your account plan determines the maximum value to which you can increase your API limit.

## Limit change prerequisites

You can change your account’s hourly API call limit if all of the following are true:

* Your account plan includes the limit management feature. If your plan doesn’t include it, you won’t see the **Update Hourly Limit** button in the [API Usage Center](/tools/api-usage-center) **API Limit** component, even if your account meets all other prerequisites. Contact [Docusign Support](https://support.docusign.com/s/contactSupport) to confirm whether your plan includes the feature.
* You are an admin user for the account. If you are not an admin user, you won’t be able to [access the API Usage Center](/tools/api-usage-center#access_api_usage_center) or change the limit.
* Your account is not currently operating under a temporary or permanent hourly call limit that Docusign Support set. If a temporary change is in effect, the API Usage Center’s **API Limit** component displays the expiration date for the temporary limit. You’ll be able to make a limit change after the expiration.
* The apps associated with your account are operating efficiently. If this is not the case, when you try to change the limit, you’ll be presented with details about [apps with efficiency issues](/tools/api-usage-center/limit-management#addressing-efficiency-issues). You must address the issues in order to change the limit.
* Your apps have made enough calls in the last seven days to allow Docusign to analyze their efficiency. If they have not made enough calls, a message will indicate this when you try to change the limit, and you won’t be able to make the change.

## Limit change duration

When you update the hourly call limit through the API Usage Center, the new limit remains in effect unless either of the following occurs:

* You change the limit again. There is no restriction on how frequently you can change the limit, as long as your account meets all the [prerequisites](/tools/api-usage-center/limit-management#limit-change-prerequisites).
* Docusign Support changes your limit. If Support makes a temporary change, after it expires, the limit will revert to the default value. You can then [increase it](/tools/api-usage-center/limit-management#changing-the-limit) if you wish.

Docusign may change your limit in response to a request for a limit higher than the maximum supported through the limit management feature. Docusign may also change your limit in response to a degradation in app efficiency. If you see an unexpected limit reduction in the **API Limit** component, you can try to [increase it](/tools/api-usage-center/limit-management#changing-the-limit). If efficiency issues prompted the reduction, the apps that have issues will be listed when you try to increase the limit. [Addressing efficiency issues](/tools/api-usage-center/limit-management#addressing-efficiency-issues) will restore your ability to increase the limit. You can also contact [Docusign Support](https://support.docusign.com/s/contactSupport) for assistance.

## Changing the limit

Follow this procedure to change your account’s hourly API call limit. Changes take effect within 10 minutes.

1. Navigate to the API Usage Center on the environment of your choice using one of the links below. You’ll need to supply your account credentials.

   * [API Usage Center: Developer environment](https://admindemo.docusign.com/authenticate?goTo=apiActivity)
   * [API Usage Center: Production environment](https://admin.docusign.com/authenticate?goTo=apiActivity)
2. Scroll down to the **API Limit** component. It displays the current hourly limit and burst limit, which is the maximum number of calls all apps associated with the account can make in a 30-second period. You cannot change the burst limit.

   ![The API Limit component of the API Usage Center](/_fern-files/_img/59b8aeec4ec9e25bb0a8c8072cbb66f44a3f4d7802d1e7348d8a3c5c34b1914b.webp)
   **Note:** If a **Contact Support** button appears instead of an **Update Hourly Limit** button, Docusign Support has set a temporary hourly limit. The **Limit expiration date** shows the date and time when the temporary limit expires. You can change the limit after that time. If the **API Limit** component does not include a button, the limit management feature is not available in your account plan. Contact [Docusign Support](https://support.docusign.com/s/contactSupport) for assistance.
3. Select **Update Hourly Limit**.

   ![Update your hourly API request limit](/_fern-files/docusign.docs.buildwithfern.com/037d40a3b488e5e2971ed9aab9c25941a648d66d3cc59d7bc605c305d8f0857f/assets/img/ctf/3XPcODyY62eQHTLajz4A9H-UpdateLimitWindowDefaultValue.png)
   **Note:** Instead of the **Update Hourly Limit** window shown above, an **Improve App Efficiency** window may appear. This means that one or more apps have efficiency issues that you must address in order to change the limit. See [Addressing efficiency issues](/tools/api-usage-center/limit-management#addressing-efficiency-issues) for details. If your apps have not made enough calls in the last seven days for Docusign to analyze their efficiency, you’ll see a message to that effect, and you won’t be able to change the limit.
4. Drag the slider to the desired limit value. The **New Limit** field shows what the value will be after the update is complete. You can change the limit in increments of 500, up to the maximum value in the slider control. If you would like to increase the limit to a value greater than the maximum, contact [Docusign Support](https://support.docusign.com/s/contactSupport).
5. Select **Update**.

When the update request is complete, the window closes. After the request has been processed, the **API Limit** component displays the new limit and the date and time of the limit update.

If the limit update cannot be processed, you may see one of these messages:

* **Operation timed out:** If this appears, wait a few minutes and then try the limit update again.
* **We couldn’t update your hourly limit:** If this appears, refresh the API Usage Center page and then try again.

If you’ve followed the recommendations above but you still see either of these messages, contact [Docusign Support](https://support.docusign.com/s/contactSupport) for assistance.

## Addressing efficiency issues

If the apps associated with your account are not operating efficiently, you cannot update the hourly API call limit. When you select **Update Hourly Limit** in the **API Limit** component, you’ll see an **Improve App Efficiency** window instead of a window that enables you to update the limit. The window lists all apps with efficiency issues that you must address before you can increase the limit.

![Improve App Efficiency window](/_fern-files/_img/917c6ec284e5678b492c1f09693c7dda421bfff4da13be8f88f03df19ceaed1c.webp)
When efficiency issues prevent you from increasing your limit, follow these steps to address the issues and monitor your account’s progress:

1. For each app listed on the **Improve App Efficiency** window, select **View** to access the [API Efficiency](/tools/api-usage-center#api_efficiency) page. The page lists factors that reduce the app’s efficiency and provides recommendations for improving it.
2. Implement changes to the apps based on the [API Efficiency](/tools/api-usage-center#api_efficiency) page recommendations. Improving the efficiency of apps with higher call volumes first will speed up your progress toward being able to update your limit. Call volume is listed in the API Usage Center [API Activity by App](/tools/api-usage-center#api_activity_by_app) component.
3. Check the API Usage Center daily to confirm the following:

   * The [API Calls](/tools/api-usage-center#api_calls) component and [API Activity by App](/tools/api-usage-center#api_activity_by_app) component reflect a decrease in call volume since you implemented the efficiency recommendations.
   * The [API Activity by App](/tools/api-usage-center#api_activity_by_app) component shows improvement in efficiency scores.
     **Note:** After you optimize an app, it may take 48 hours for the score to start improving, and up to eight days for it to fully reflect the efficiency gain. See [Efficiency Score](/tools/api-usage-center#efficiency_score_component) for details.
4. Periodically check your progress toward being able to update the limit by selecting **Update Hourly Limit** in the **API Limit** component. You should see the following:

   * As optimizations take effect, fewer apps will appear on the **Improve App Efficiency** window.
   * When overall efficiency has improved sufficiently, you will see the **Update Hourly Limit** window instead of the **Improve App Efficiency** window, and you’ll be able to change the limit.

## Next steps

* See [API Usage Center](/tools/api-usage-center) for general information about the API Usage Center.
* See [Efficiency score factors](/tools/api-usage-center/factors) for information about issues that can affect app efficiency and recommendations for resolving them.
* See [API resource limits](/platform/resource-limits) for more information about call limits.