TheTVDB · Rate Limits

Tvdb Rate Limits

TheTVDB does not publish explicit per-second / per-minute rate limits in either its API information page or the v4-api repository. Instead, the provider's guidance is architectural: maintain a local copy of the database, use the /updates endpoint to stay in sync, or front the API with a caching proxy. End-user direct access is allowed but the provider expects developers to design responsibly. Heavy or unfair traffic patterns can result in keys being revoked or commercial terms being renegotiated. The provider reserves the right to change interfaces, fees, and licensing terms at any point without notice.

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

It captures 3 rate-limit definitions, measuring varies, token_lifetime, and tls_version.

The profile also includes 7 backoff/retry policies defined and response codes documented for unauthorized, forbidden, notFound, and throttled.

Tagged areas include Rate Limiting, Television, Movies, and Metadata.

3 Limits Throttle: 429
Rate LimitingTelevisionMoviesMetadata

Limits

Documented request-rate limits account/key
varies
not publicly documented — see https://thetvdb.com/api-information
TheTVDB does not publish numeric request-rate limits. Architectural guidance recommends a local DB copy or caching proxy for heavy use.
JWT bearer token lifetime account/key
token_lifetime · month
1
Tokens returned by /login are valid for one month, after which a new /login call is required.
TLS minimum version connection
tls_version
TLSv1.2
Enforced on all API requests. Older TLS versions are rejected at the transport layer.

Policies

Maintain a local database copy
TheTVDB strongly recommends developers iterate every record once and maintain a local copy, then poll /updates to track changes. This is the preferred approach for high-volume consumers.
Use a caching proxy
For projects without dedicated DB hosting, run a caching proxy (e.g. squid) between the user and the TheTVDB API. Set TTLs per endpoint based on data freshness needs.
Cache heavily-stable reference endpoints
Cache for at least one week (or longer) any responses from /artwork/types, /artwork/statuses, /awards/categories, /content/ratings, /entities, /genders, /genres, /inspiration/types, /languages, /movies/statuses, /people/types, /series/statuses, /sources/types, and /seasons/types.
Handle merge-deletion updates
/updates events for deletions may include mergeToType and mergeToId. When present, migrate any local user-generated data (follower counts, ratings) from the deleted record to the surviving record.
Bearer token rotation
Reuse the JWT bearer for the full one-month token lifetime; do not call /login on every request.
Attribution requirement
End-user-facing surfaces must display "Metadata provided by TheTVDB" with a direct link to TheTVDB.com. Command-line tools and developer libraries may instead carry attribution in their documentation.
Provider may revoke or renegotiate
TheTVDB reserves the right to change interfaces, fees, or licensing terms at any point without notice. Build for graceful degradation and keep contact information current.

Sources

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  • apis_io_searchSTART HERE — APIs, providers and tags for one query, each with its total.
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curl "https://apis.io/api/v1/rate-limits?limit=25"

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