Request Limit Exceeded

When you encounter the REQUEST_LIMIT_EXCEEDED error in Salesforce, it indicates that your organization has exceeded its API usage limits. Salesforce imposes these limits to ensure system stability and performance across all tenants.

Common Causes

• Multiple integrated systems or applications consuming your API allocation
• Inefficient API calls or queries that require excessive requests
• Automated processes that make frequent API calls
• Data migration or mass update operations that aren't batched properly

Troubleshooting Steps

1. Identify High-Consumption Applications

First, determine which applications are consuming your API limits:

1. Navigate to Setup > System Overview > API Usage
2. Review the "API Requests, Last 24 Hours" section
3. Click on "View by User" and "View by Client" to identify the specific sources of high API usage

See more detailed instructions in: Monitor Your Salesforce API Usage

2. Analyze Usage Patterns

Monitor your organization's API usage to identify patterns:

1. Log in to Salesforce
2. Navigate to Setup > Integrations > API Usage Notifications
3. Set up notifications to alert you when API usage approaches your limit

3. Check Recent Changes

Consider recent changes that might have increased API consumption:

• Newly installed applications or integrations
• Changes to existing automations or scheduled processes
• Recent data migration or integration projects

Resolution Strategies

Short-Term Solutions

1. Temporarily restrict high-consuming applications: Check if another application is heavily using your API allocation and limit usage of that application until usage levels decrease.
2. Wait for the trailing window to reset: Since Salesforce measures API calls on a trailing 24-hour basis, sometimes waiting a few hours can resolve the issue as older API calls drop out of the calculation window.
3. Pause non-essential automated processes: Temporarily disable scheduled jobs or automations that aren't business-critical.

Long-Term Solutions

1. Increase your API limits: Contact your Salesforce Account Manager to discuss increasing your API usage limits. This may involve additional licensing or upgrades to your Salesforce edition.
2. Optimize integrations: Review and refine your integration patterns to reduce unnecessary API calls:
   • Use bulk API operations when processing multiple records
   • Implement effective caching strategies
   • Reduce polling frequency where possible
   • Consider using platform events or streaming API for certain use cases
3. Schedule high-volume operations strategically: Distribute API-intensive operations across different time windows to avoid concentration of API usage.

Need Additional Help?

If you continue to experience the REQUEST_LIMIT_EXCEEDED error after implementing the above solutions:

• Open a case with Salesforce Support for more direct assistance
• Engage with your Salesforce Account Executive to discuss your specific API needs and potential solutions