Plivo · Rate Limits

Plivo Rate Limits

Plivo applies a default REST API rate limit of 300 requests per 5-second window per account. When the limit is exceeded, the API returns HTTP 429 (Too Many Requests). Outbound messaging additionally has carrier-imposed throughput caps (1 MPS per US long code, higher for Powerpacks, toll-free, and short codes), and outbound voice is throttled by the account's max-call-attempts setting. Higher REST limits and message throughput tiers can be negotiated for enterprise accounts.

Plivo Rate Limits is the machine-readable rate-limit profile for Plivo on the APIs.io network, conforming to the API Commons Rate Limits specification.

It captures 5 rate-limit definitions, measuring requests, messages, and concurrent-calls.

The profile also includes 3 backoff/retry policies defined and response codes documented for throttled and serverError.

Tagged areas include Communications, CPaaS, Voice, SMS, and Messaging.

5 Limits Throttle: 429
CommunicationsCPaaSVoiceSMSMessagingRate LimitingQuotasThrottling

Limits

REST API account
requests · 5-seconds
300
Default Plivo REST API rate limit. Applies across the entire account (sum of all subaccounts unless separately limited).
Outbound SMS — US 10DLC Long Code phone-number
messages · second
1
Standard MPS (messages per second) per registered 10DLC long code. Higher MPS available based on campaign vetting / brand score.
Outbound SMS — US Toll-Free phone-number
messages · second
3
Default MPS per verified toll-free number. Carriers can authorize higher throughput post-verification.
Outbound SMS — Powerpack powerpack
messages · second
-1
Powerpacks scale throughput by spreading traffic across the underlying number pool; aggregate MPS is sum of pool member MPS.
Concurrent Calls account
concurrent-calls · simultaneous
100
Default account-level cap on simultaneous voice calls (max_calls). Configurable upward for paid accounts.

Policies

Backoff Strategy
Implement exponential backoff with jitter on HTTP 429 responses; honor Retry-After when present.
Carrier Compliance
For US A2P SMS at scale, register brand and campaign via the 10DLC API to unlock the throughput tier matching your campaign's vetted score.
Account Limits
max_calls (concurrent-call ceiling) is set per account; raise via the Account API or by contacting Plivo support before scaling outbound voice campaigns.

Sources