Shopify caps each customer at 3,000 API requests a minute

Shopify says normal buyer traffic typically stays well below it, so in most cases no action is needed.

Over the cap, the API answers with a 429

The cap sits alongside the API’s existing cost-based limit. Every request now has to clear both checks.

It makes no difference which app sends a request for a given customer, according to the changelog. Spread over a minute, the 3,000 works out to 50 requests a second for that customer, with every app counted together.

When a customer goes over, the API returns HTTP 429 Too Many Requests with a THROTTLED error and a Retry-After header. The header tells the app how long to hold off.

Ask each app provider how it handles a 429

The changelog spells out what Shopify expects from an app that hits the cap:

• Detect the HTTP 429 response.
• Read the Retry-After header.
• Wait that long before retrying.

For a store running several customer-account apps, start by confirming which ones call this API. Then ask each provider whether its integration follows those three steps.

An app that waits out Retry-After and then retries already does what Shopify asks.