API Limits
Character limits
Character counts include SSML tags. For text longer than the limit, split it into multiple requests.
Rate limits
Rate limits differ by product because the workloads differ. Build audio is cost-per-call. Agents is chatty interactive traffic.
Build audio
Applies to /v1/audio/speech and /v1/audio/stream.
Agents
Applies to every Agents endpoint under /v1/agents/*: agents, conversations, knowledge bases, tools, tests, memories, audio assets, batch calls, IVR menus, and telephony.
Burst is the peak bucket capacity. A fresh bucket absorbs the burst in a single second, then refills at the sustained rate. This lets a console page load or batch operation fire many parallel requests without hitting 429, while still capping long-running abuse at the sustained rate.
Concurrency limits
Concurrency limits cap the number of simultaneous in-flight requests per account.
Build audio
Applies to /v1/audio/speech and /v1/audio/stream.
Agents
Applies to the authenticated Agents endpoints listed above. The primary target is POST /v1/agents/{id}/conversations, which allocates a live-call session.
All limits apply per account, not per API key.
Handling 429 responses
When you exceed rate or concurrency limits, the API returns 429 Too Many Requests with a Retry-After header.
Python
TypeScript
Processing long texts
For texts exceeding 20,000 characters, split into chunks and process sequentially:
FAQ
What happens if I exceed the character limit?
The request is rejected with an error response. Split your text into smaller chunks within the allowed limits.
How do I get higher limits?
Upgrade to a paid plan for 20 req/sec on Build audio (with 15 concurrent requests) and 20 req/sec + 60 burst on Agents endpoints. Enterprise customers can request custom limits: contact sales.
How can I monitor my usage?
Track usage through the Speechify Console dashboard.