CommCare is a cloud-hosted platform engineered to provide optimal performance across all project spaces. Rate limits only apply when the entire CommCare platform is under high load.

This page explains what rate limiting is, gives detailed information on our rate limiting policies, and guides best practices so that your operations aren't affected by rate limiting. 

Please note that rate limiting applies only to the following CommCare environments (www.commcarehq.org and india.commcarehq.org).

About Rate Limiting

What is rate limiting?

We implement rate limiting to safeguard CommCare service availability. Shared services must ensure they can manage excessive system usage. Excessive use adds strain to CommCare Services and affects the application's general performance. Rate limiting is a dynamic component that enables optimal availability, scalability, and reliability in your project spaces.

Rate limiting controls the number of forms you submit, changes you make to a case, or how many API calls your project space makes. We have outlined the details of our rate limits on each page below. Your application will auto-sync to the server again after the rate limit expires.

If you have any questions, please contact us. We will further explain our rate limiting policy and work with you to ensure your project isn't impacted by the rate limiting thresholds.

If you're already a Dimagi partner, please get in touch with your account manager for more information. 

When do rate limits apply?

Rate limits only apply when the entire CommCare platform is under high load. Your project will never experience rate limiting of form submissions during off-peak hours (as determined by real-time load patterns). CommCare applies rate limits on all project spaces when the system is under high load.

What happens when we implement rate limits?

When you submit any type of form or case transaction from a CommCare Mobile App, and you have exceeded the rate limit, all submissions are saved locally until the rate limit expires. All locally saved submissions will be auto-synced to the server when the rate limit expires.

When you submit a form or case transaction from a CommCare Web App, and you have exceeded the rate limit, you are prevented from proceeding until the rate limit expires.

What are the rate limit thresholds for my project space?

Rate limits are allocated on a per-user basis.

We determine the rate limit thresholds for your organization's project space by the number of mobile workers included in your subscription plan.

Technically Feasible Activities

We advise you to adhere to the rate limits as outlined below.

The standard rate limit threshold ratio is determined on the assumption that the CommCare user works roughly 8.5 hours a day, 5 days a week.

Terms & Conditions

Limits are combined across all project spaces with the total number of mobile workers included in an Enterprise subscription that includes multiple project spaces.

Project spaces in an Enterprise account will not be rate limited unless both the project space and the Enterprise account are over their respective limits.

If you have any questions, please contact us. We will further explain our rate limiting policy and work with you to ensure your project isn't impacted by the rate limiting thresholds. If you're already a Dimagi partner, please get in touch with your account manager for more information. 

Types of Rate Limiting

CommCare rate limits across the following types of user activities:

• Form Submissions

• Case Transactions

• APIs

Form Submissions Rate Limiting

You will never lose a form submission due to rate limiting. Instead, you may experience a delay between the submission and when it is synced to the CommCare server.

Submissions that count toward form submission rate limits include:

• Form submissions via CommCare mobile and Web apps

• Form submissions via CommCare HQ APIs

• Case importer

• Automatic updates or closing of cases via the Automatically Update Cases feature

• Case data or Form data edits

Standard rate limit thresholds

• The standard rate limit per minute is 0.14 form submissions per mobile worker.

• The standard rate limit per hour is 6 form submissions per mobile worker.

• The standard rate limit per day is 46 form submissions per mobile worker.

• The standard rate limit per week is 230 form submissions per mobile worker.

Calculated rate limits

In the table below, you will see the calculated rate limit thresholds for each subscription plan.

(number of mobile workers) * (standard form submissions per minute or hour or day etc.)

Case Transactions Rate Limiting

You will never lose a case transaction submission due to rate limiting. Instead, you may experience a delay between the submission and when it is synced to the CommCare server.

Case Transactions that count toward rate limits include:

• Case imports

• Form submissions that update a case

• Auto case update rules

In other words, the rate limit refers to any updates to cases.

Standard rate limit thresholds

• The standard rate limit per minute is 0.7 case transactions per mobile worker.

• The standard rate limit per hour is 30 case transactions per mobile worker.

• The standard rate limit per day is 230 case transactions per mobile worker.

• The standard rate limit per week is 1150 case transactions per mobile worker.

Calculated rate limits

In the table below, you will see the calculated rate limit thresholds for each subscription plan.

(number of mobile workers) * (standard case transactions per minute or hour or day etc.)

API Rate Limiting

Standard rate limit thresholds

• The standard rate limit per minute is 3 API requests per mobile worker.

• The standard rate limit per hour is 130 API requests per mobile worker.

• The standard rate limit per day is 1000 API requests per mobile worker.

In the table below, you will see the calculated rate limit thresholds for each subscription plan.

(number of mobile workers) * (standard API requests per minute or hour or day etc.)

Technically Feasible API Requests

We advise you to adhere to the rate limits as outlined above.