Skip to main content Implement OpenEvidence rate limiting, backoff, and request optimization.
Use when handling rate limit errors, implementing retry logic,
or optimizing API request throughput for clinical queries.
Trigger with phrases like "openevidence rate limit", "openevidence throttling",
"openevidence 429", "openevidence retry", "openevidence backoff".
npx skills add jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills --skill openevidence-rate-limits ai automation claude-code devops mcp ai-agents
OpenEvidence Rate Limits
Overview
OpenEvidence's clinical decision support API enforces strict rate limits to ensure reliable evidence retrieval for healthcare applications. Clinical query endpoints are throttled per API key, with lower limits on evidence synthesis calls that involve AI-powered literature analysis. In clinical settings, rate limiting directly impacts patient care workflows, so implementations must prioritize graceful degradation over retry storms. Batch research queries during off-peak hours and cache evidence summaries aggressively since medical literature changes infrequently.
Rate Limit Reference
Endpoint Limit Window Scope Clinical query 30 req 1 minute Per API key Evidence synthesis 10 req 1 minute Per API key Literature search 60 req 1 minute Per API key Citation retrieval 120 req 1 minute Per API key Bulk evidence export 5 req 1 hour Per API key
Rate Limiter Implementation class OpenEvidenceRateLimiter {
private tokens: number;
private lastRefill: number;
private readonly max: number;
private readonly refillRate: number;
private queue: Array<{ resolve: () => void }> = [];
constructor(maxPerMinute: number) {
this.max = maxPerMinute;
this.tokens = maxPerMinute;
this.lastRefill = Date.now();
this.refillRate = maxPerMinute / 60_000;
}
async acquire(): Promise<void> {
this.refill();
if (this.tokens >= 1) { this.tokens -= 1; return; }
return new Promise(resolve => this.queue.push({ resolve }));
}
private refill() {
const now = Date.now();
this.tokens = Math.min(this.max, this.tokens + (now - this.lastRefill) * this.refillRate);
this.lastRefill = now;
while (this.tokens >= 1 && this.queue.length) {
this.tokens -= 1;
this.queue.shift()!.resolve();
}
}
}
const queryLimiter = new OpenEvidenceRateLimiter(25);
const synthesisLimiter = new OpenEvidenceRateLimiter(8);
Retry Strategy async function openEvidenceRetry<T>(
limiter: OpenEvidenceRateLimiter, fn: () => Promise<Response>, maxRetries = 3
): Promise<T> {
for (let attempt = 0; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++) {
await limiter.acquire();
const res = await fn();
if (res.ok) return res.json();
if (res.status === 429) {
const retryAfter = parseInt(res.headers.get("Retry-After") || "30", 10);
const jitter = Math.random() * 2000;
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, retryAfter * 1000 + jitter));
continue;
}
if (res.status >= 500 && attempt < maxRetries) {
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, Math.pow(2, attempt) * 3000));
continue;
}
throw new Error(`OpenEvidence API ${res.status}: ${await res.text()}`);
}
throw new Error("Max retries exceeded");
}
Batch Processing async function batchClinicalQueries(queries: string[], batchSize = 5) {
const results: any[] = [];
for (let i = 0; i < queries.length; i += batchSize) {
const batch = queries.slice(i, i + batchSize);
const batchResults = await Promise.all(
batch.map(q => openEvidenceRetry(queryLimiter, () =>
fetch(`${OE_BASE}/api/v1/clinical/query`, {
method: "POST", headers,
body: JSON.stringify({ question: q, includeEvidence: true }),
})
))
);
results.push(...batchResults);
if (i + batchSize < queries.length) await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 12_000));
}
return results;
}
Error Handling Issue Cause Fix 429 on clinical query Exceeded 30 req/min query cap Queue queries, return cached if available 429 on synthesis Synthesis limit (10/min) is strict Pre-cache common drug interaction queries Synthesis timeout Complex multi-study analysis Set 120s timeout, poll async endpoint 401 key expired API key rotation missed Automate key rotation with 7-day buffer Stale evidence Cached result older than 30 days Set TTL on cache, re-query on expiry
Resources
Next Steps See openevidence-performance-tuning.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
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CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).
