Codex Rate Limit
Content updated: Sep 16, 2026
Direct answer
A Codex rate limit is a throttle on how much you can use Codex within a given window — in practice it means the rolling 5-hour usage window and the weekly cap. When you hit one, Codex pauses until capacity frees up. Exact thresholds vary by plan and are not fully documented; run /status in Codex to see your current limits.
Rate limit vs usage limit
In Codex, 'rate limit' and 'usage limit' describe the same enforcement from two angles. The usage limit is your allowance: a rolling 5-hour window plus a weekly cap. The rate limit is what you experience when that allowance runs out — requests are refused until the window refills. OpenAI does not publish exact per-plan thresholds, and limits can change over time, so treat any third-party numbers as approximate.
What happens when you hit the rate limit
Hitting the 5-hour limit pauses usage until older usage rolls out of the window — often minutes, not hours. Hitting the weekly cap pauses usage until your seven-day window resets. The /status output shows the exact reset time for each window, so you always know how long a pause will last.
How to check your rate limit status
Run /status in Codex to see remaining quota and reset times for both windows. For a persistent view, paste that output into the Quota Tracker — it stores data only in your browser and shows live countdowns to each reset, plus alerts when capacity returns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Codex rate limit?
The throttle Codex applies when your usage allowance in the 5-hour or weekly window is exhausted. Usage pauses until the window refills; /status shows the exact times.
Is the Codex rate limit the same for everyone?
No. Exact thresholds vary by plan and are not fully documented by OpenAI. Your /status output is the authoritative source for your own limits.
Can I reset the Codex rate limit manually?
No — it lifts when the rolling window refills. You can plan around it: track your burn rate, schedule heavy work right after resets, and set a reset alert.
Does a global reset clear my rate limit?
A verified global reset refills usage limits broadly, after which your rolling windows continue on their own schedule. Check /status afterwards for your updated times.