429 rate limit errors from Figma API

[jason-ezenwa]

I have been getting this response all day, while trying to use the mcp with cursor: Error fetching file: Failed to make request to Figma API endpoint '/files/CSKFNNR9R6BynWVO2CvvpX/nodes?ids=8425:9830': Fetch failed with status 429: Too Many Requests

At first I thought the rate limit was on my API key by figma, but i'm able to do curls directly to figma's api using my api key. Does the framelink mcp specifically have rate limiting or is there rate limiting on mcp connections to figma?

[lucasmonstrox]

New plans are added since 17 november, I already upgraded to dev mode but errors persist.

[CooperHash]

same

[GLips]

There's no rate limiting built into the Framelink MCP. If you're on a free Figma account, you'll be limited to 6 requests per month.

As @lucasmonstrox mentioned Figma introduced new rate limits on the 17th. According to this doc, if you're on a paid plan with a dev seat, you should be able to make up to 10 requests per minute for the Tier 1 "get file" endpoint, which Framelink uses. The "get image" endpoint is also used by Framelink and also Tier 1.

There should be a few headers returned along with the 429 error:

"Retry-After": Integer
"X-Figma-Plan-Tier": String enum
"X-Figma-Rate-Limit-Type": String enum
"X-Figma-Upgrade-Link": String

Are you able to see any of these? Curious what the rate limit type is. Perhaps it's an issue on Figma's end rather than with your keys, if you've upgraded to a paid / Dev plan.

Also possible you made >10 requests in a minute, but then when testing via curl you had more capacity? Not sure if the rate limit error is consistent with the Framelink MCP based on these reports.

[jason-ezenwa]

There's no rate limiting built into the Framelink MCP. If you're on a free Figma account, you'll be limited to 6 requests per month.

As @lucasmonstrox mentioned Figma introduced new rate limits on the 17th. According to this doc, if you're on a paid plan with a dev seat, you should be able to make up to 10 requests per minute for the Tier 1 "get file" endpoint, which Framelink uses. The "get image" endpoint is also used by Framelink and also Tier 1.

There should be a few headers returned along with the 429 error:

"Retry-After": Integer
"X-Figma-Plan-Tier": String enum
"X-Figma-Rate-Limit-Type": String enum
"X-Figma-Upgrade-Link": String

Are you able to see any of these? Curious what the rate limit type is. Perhaps it's an issue on Figma's end rather than with your keys, if you've upgraded to a paid / Dev plan.

Also possible you made >10 requests in a minute, but then when testing via curl you had more capacity? Not sure if the rate limit error is consistent with the Framelink MCP based on these reports.

i dont make up to 10 requests per minute but i can confirm that i am able to use framelink mcp on other files unrelated to the problematic file so i guess it's really a plan thing like you've said.
unfortunately, i don't see any headers. also tried to prompt the llm to return the headers from figma's response if any, but it's just the error as in my original issue description.

[lucasmonstrox]

After upgraded to dev version, I still receiving "You've hit your rate limit. For more information, please refer to https://developers.figma.com/docs/figma-mcp-server/plans-access-and-permissions" for no reason. I was like 3/4 about away from keyboard and when I back, I got the same response. Dunno what is happening :'(

[morrisonmong]

When using the Figma MCP tool to fetch design data, the API returns
a 429 Too Many Requests error on the first request of the day.
Previous requests on other days have worked successfully.

Prompt used:
Use mcp to check {figma_link}
(where {figma_link} is copied from Figma using "Copy link to
selection")

Request Details:

• Tool used: mcp__Figma__get_figma_data
• API Endpoint: /files/{fileKey}/nodes?ids={nodeId}

Error Response:
Error fetching file: Failed to make request to Figma API endpoint
'/files/{fileKey}/nodes?ids={nodeId}':
Fetch failed with status 429: Too Many Requests

Additional Context:

• This was the first request of the day — no prior requests were
  made
• Previous days' requests worked without issues
• The error occurred immediately, not after multiple requests

[RinshadCM]

If I choose the Dev Mode plan, will it work as expected? Has anyone tried it?

[lucasmonstrox]

@RinshadCM it works for me

[GLips]

After upgraded to dev version, I still receiving "You've hit your rate limit. For more information, please refer to https://developers.figma.com/docs/figma-mcp-server/plans-access-and-permissions"

I found a thread on Figma's support forums that has a few people hitting the same issue. I think there might be a delay between upgrading to a paid seat and getting the API unlocked at that higher tier. Might be something they need to fix, or a known issue they'll just leave (caching or something).

Glad to hear it ended up working though!

[RinshadCM]

Hi @lucasmonstrox
Have you been upgraded as of last week? If so, how long did it take for the update to take effect?

[tkrzhkv]

If anyone runs into the issue where, after upgrading their plan, the rate limit doesn’t go away, check which project you’re trying to access.

If the project belongs to someone who is on the Starter plan, their plan’s limits will apply to you for that project.

To have your own plan’s limits applied, you need to copy the project into your own workspace/account — then your plan will be applied to that copy.

In my case, when working with the Figma MCP, the Starter plan limits were being applied to me, so I kept hitting the rate limit. Once I duplicated the project into my own workspace, my Professional plan started applying correctly and the rate limit issue was resolved.

[stone-w4tch3r]

About a month ago I made a PR to bypass this exact rate limiting issue for free, no subscription needed #256

[jason-ezenwa]

About a month ago I made a PR to bypass this exact rate limiting issue for free, no subscription needed #256

nice!
from the pr it seems you solve this by caching the response from the selected node? if this is the case what happens when i make requests with different nodes? like a request to get the details of a button and another to get the details of a table? i assume both will be treated as two different requests.

i still think being able to cache info from even small nodes/selections, is great.

[stone-w4tch3r]

nice! from the pr it seems you solve this by caching the response from the selected node? if this is the case what happens when i make requests with different nodes? like a request to get the details of a button and another to get the details of a table? i assume both will be treated as two different requests.

i still think being able to cache info from even small nodes/selections, is great.

It caches not a small node, but entire figma file. On first request a big "prefetch" is executed. And than it retrieves info for a particular node from that saved data.

Only image (screenshot) requests always go to figma