clerk-rate-limits

# Clerk Rate Limits

## Overview
Understand Clerk's rate limiting system and implement strategies to avoid hitting limits.

## Prerequisites
- Clerk account with API access
- Understanding of your application's traffic patterns
- Monitoring/logging infrastructure

## Instructions

### Step 1: Understand Rate Limits

#### Clerk API Rate Limits (as of 2024)
| Endpoint Category | Free Tier | Pro Tier | Enterprise |
|------------------|-----------|----------|------------|
| Authentication | 100/min | 500/min | Custom |
| User Management | 100/min | 500/min | Custom |
| Session Management | 200/min | 1000/min | Custom |
| Webhooks | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |

#### Client-Side Limits
- SDK requests are automatically throttled
- Browser session: 10 requests/second
- Token refresh: 1 per 50 seconds (automatic)

### Step 2: Implement Rate Limit Handling
```typescript
// lib/clerk-client.ts
import { clerkClient } from '@clerk/nextjs/server'

interface RateLimitConfig {
  maxRetries: number
  baseDelay: number
}

async function withRateLimitRetry<T>(
  operation: () => Promise<T>,
  config: RateLimitConfig = { maxRetries: 3, baseDelay: 1000 }
): Promise<T> {
  let lastError: Error | null = null

  for (let attempt = 0; attempt < config.maxRetries; attempt++) {
    try {
      return await operation()
    } catch (error: any) {
      lastError = error

      // Check for rate limit error
      if (error.status === 429 || error.code === 'rate_limit_exceeded') {
        const delay = config.baseDelay * Math.pow(2, attempt)
        console.warn(`Rate limited, retrying in ${delay}ms (attempt ${attempt + 1})`)
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay))
        continue
      }

      // Non-rate-limit error, throw immediately
      throw error
    }
  }

  throw lastError
}

// Usage
export async function getUser(userId: string) {
  const client = await clerkClient()
  return withRateLimitRetry(() => client.users.getUser(userId))
}
```

### Step 3: Ba