Salesforce Platform: Understanding API Rolling Limits

What Are Rolling Limits

• Rolling limits are usage thresholds enforced over a continuously measured time period, such as 24 hours.
• Unlike fixed resets (e.g., at midnight), rolling limits monitor usage over the last X hours or days from the current time.

How They Work

• Salesforce tracks API usage within a rolling 24-hour window.
• If the limit is exceeded, further API calls may be blocked until usage drops below the threshold.

Example Calculation

• If your limit is 100,000 API calls per day:
  • Between 8:00 AM yesterday and 8:00 AM today, you made 90,000 calls.
  • You can make up to 10,000 more calls before hitting the limit.
  • As time progresses, older calls (e.g., before 8:00 AM yesterday) drop out of the 24-hour window, allowing more calls.

Monitoring Usage

• Use the "System Overview" page in Setup to check API usage.
• Look for "API REQUESTS (LAST 24 HOURS)" to monitor your current usage

Best Practices

• Plan API usage to avoid exceeding limits.
• Use efficient queries and batch processing to minimize API calls.
• Monitor usage regularly to stay within limits.