API Rate Limit (RateExceededError)

[Tomer]

Hello,

Our application was running just fine up until yesterday but since then we started getting the following message over and over:

Message: [RateExceededError <rateName=RATE_LIMIT, rateKey=null, rateScope=ACCOUNT, retryAfterSeconds=30>]

Errors:

Error [1]:

field_path:

trigger:

error_string: RateExceededError.RATE_EXCEEDED

api_error_type: RateExceededError

reason: RATE_EXCEEDED

rate_name: RATE_LIMIT

rate_scope: ACCOUNT

retry_after_seconds: 30

xsi_type: ns2:RateExceededError

We have moved from making ten of thousands of requests per day to several hundreds. We keep getting this message despite waiting much longer than 30 seconds.

Can you please help us understand why?

Thanks

[Umesh Dengale]

Hello,

The RATE_EXCEEDED error with rateScope=ACCOUNT is metered on all requests to a single AdWords account - no matter which developer token was used to make the request.  If AdWords account is managed by different manager accounts(e.g. 3 or 4 MCCs), then it's possible that all manager accounts are making requests against the same AdWords account at the same time. If the combined QPS across all manager accounts exceeds the limit, then the clients will receive RateExceededError in the Account rate scope. Please check out rate limits guide and best practices guide for more details.

Thanks,

Umesh, AdWords API Team.