Rate limits regulate the number of requests you can make to the Gemini API within a given timeframe. These limits help ensure fair usage, protect against abuse, and help maintain system performance for all users.
How rate limits work
Rate limits are measured across four dimensions:
- Requests per minute (RPM)
- Requests per day (RPD)
- Tokens per minute (TPM)
Your usage is evaluated against each limit, and exceeding any of them will trigger a rate limit error. For example, if your RPM limit is 20, making 21 requests within a minute will result in an error, even if you haven't exceeded your TPM or other limits.
Rate limits are applied per project, not per API key.
Limits vary depending on the specific model being used, and some limits only apply to specific models. For example, Images per minute, or IPM, is only calculated for models capable of generating images (Imagen 3), but is conceptually similar to TPM.
Current rate limits
Free Tier
| Model | RPM | TPM | RPD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 2.0 Flash | 15 | 1,000,000 | 1,500 |
| Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite Preview | 30 | 1,000,000 | 1,500 |
| Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental 02-05 | 2 | 1,000,000 | 50 |
| Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental 01-21 | 10 | 4,000,000 | 1,500 |
| Gemini 1.5 Flash | 15 | 1,000,000 | 1,500 |
| Gemini 1.5 Flash-8B | 15 | 1,000,000 | 1,500 |
| Gemini 1.5 Pro | 2 | 32,000 | 50 |
| Imagen 3 | -- | -- | -- |
Paid Tier 1
| Model | RPM | TPM | RPD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 2.0 Flash | 2,000 | 4,000,000 | -- |
| Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite Preview | 4,000 | 4,000,000 | -- |
| Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental 02-05 | 5 | 1,000,000 | -- |
| Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental 01-21 | 10 | 4,000,000 | -- |
| Gemini 1.5 Flash | 2,000 | 4,000,000 | -- |
| Gemini 1.5 Flash-8B | 4,000 | 4,000,000 | -- |
| Gemini 1.5 Pro | 1,000 | 4,000,000 | -- |
| Imagen 3 | -- | 20 images per minute (IPM) | -- |
Paid Tier 2
Coming soon!
[*] Specified rate limits are not guaranteed and actual capacity may vary.
Usage tiers
Rate limits are tied to the projects usage tier (which we will soon be rolling out). As your API usage and spending increase, you'll have an option to upgrade to a higher tier with increased rate limits.
| Tier | Qualifications |
|---|---|
| Free | Users in eligible countries |
| Tier 1 | Billing account linked to the project |
| Tier 2 | Total spend: $250 + at least 30 days since successful payment |
| Tier 3 | Not yet available, coming soon. |
When you request an upgrade, our automated abuse protection system performs additional checks. While meeting the stated qualification criteria is generally sufficient for approval, in rare cases an upgrade request may be denied based on other factors identified during the review process.
This system helps ensure the security and integrity of the Gemini API platform for all users.
Request a rate limit increase
Each model variation has an associated rate limit (requests per minute, RPM). For details on those rate limits, see Gemini models.
Request paid tier rate limit increase
We offer no guarantees about increasing your rate limit, but we'll do our best to review your request and reach out to you if we're able to accommodate your capacity needs.