You are being rate limited - Discord [Fixed]
Discord is a much loved app that is super easy to use. And occasionally, when doing something on the app, we tend to get a bit overexcited. In these situations, Discord limits your actions for security reasons. One such way of blocking users is through the ‘You are being rate limited’ Discord action.
If you’ve come across this message on Discord and are wondering what it means, then you are at the right place. Below, we’ve explained the causes of the ‘You are being rate limited’ Discord message as well as what you can do to fix it. Apply these fixes and get running.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What are rate limits?
To prevent abuse and overload of Discord’s services, Discord's API rate limits requests. What this means is that you’ve tried a specific action on Discord too many times, without much of an interval between attempts.
A number of users have complained about the rate limits, particularly in regards to text verification when entering a channel. If a user is unable to verify at the first attempt and has to retry a few times, they might face this message. This is done so that users can not just guess the verification code. Weird? Well, there are quite a few hacking software that can ‘guess’ the combination in verification codes. Of course, this would take them a few attempts. To block them, there’s a limit applied on the number of attempts that you get.
Rate limits in Discord are applied on a per-route basis. This means that they can be different for each route/ path called. They also differ per-account performing the request. There is also an additional global rate limit that spans across the entire API. This is applied only to endpoints, as endpoints don’t always have a specific rate limit. Discord will also give you a timer telling how many seconds to wait before retrying.
Technical jargon aside, this simple tweet by Discord explains what the rate limit is. As they’ve mentioned, there is no exact ETA, and this is because the rate limit varies for users and paths as mentioned above.
Now that we know what the rate limit is, let’s see how we can get rid of this error message and use Discord again fast.
How to fix ‘you are being rate limited’ on Discord?
Wait it out
Waiting is the best thing you can do in this situation. Remember that Discord applies a rate limit because of security reasons. As such, hoping for a shorter waiting period can mean a compromise on safety standards. Discord has millions of users globally and the developers need to ensure a high standard of security. So, the best thing you can do is to log out of Discord for a few seconds and wait till the rate limit is complete. Maybe go for a quick walk or run an errand while the timer runs out.
However, if waiting isn’t an option for you, and you need to use Discord ASAP, then read on. We’ve explained how to get Discord running without the downtime below.
Restart your device, router and modem to avoid the ‘You are being rate limited’ ban
As said earlier when explaining what it is, we mentioned that the rate limit is route or path dependent. This means that it depends on your system, IP address and Discord’s servers (endpoint), all together. Discord implements the ‘You are being rate limited’ Discord ban via an IP ban. So how can you leverage this?
Most internet providers do not give you a static IP address. The IP address changes when you reset your router. This way, you can quickly change your IP address and get rid of the ban.
To do this,
- Log out of Discord and turn off your device.
- Press and hold the power button on your router for about 30 seconds. Alternatively, press the reset button if available. Unplug the router.
- Now, plug the router back in and restart it by pressing the power button. Next, boot your device and connect to the internet. You may need to re-enter your router’s wifi password to connect.
- Next, open Discord and log in to your account. Try the action you got rate limited for in the first place and you should be good to go.
Use a mobile hotspot or a different internet connection
Again, the rate limits are applied as an IP ban. An easier way than restarting your router is to connect via a different network, and thus, a different IP address. For this, you need to first log out of Discord and then do the following.
- In case you have an active data pack on your mobile device, then disconnect from the wifi network and switch on your mobile data.
- Now, turn on the hotspot on your mobile device. Connect your computer to this network.
- Then, open Discord, login and try the action that you got rate limited for again. It should be solved.
Also, you can try connecting via a different network if you faced this error on your mobile device in the first place.
Change the browser or/ and use an incognito window
Incognito windows keep the data from being tracked and stored and you can use this to access Discord when you face the ‘You are being rate limited’ Discord ban. You’d have to use Discord on a browser for this and not the app. You can open a new incognito window using these shortcuts:
- On Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows, or Command + Shift + N on Mac
- On Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows, or Command + Shift + P on Mac
If you use a different browser, do make sure to google the shortcut.
You can also open Discord on another browser to check if the rate limit ban is lifted.
Contact Discord support
If you face the rate limit error often, there’s a high chance that Discord has blocked your devices. In this case, there isn’t anything you can do to fix it yourself. You can, however, contact Discord support to fix the error by filling in the following form: Discord support form.
