recon agent hit API rate limit mid-scan and its scan failed on authorized

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

A 429 is a pause button, not a failure. The agent should checkpoint every successful API response to disk, back off with jitter when it sees a 429 or a Retry-After header, and resume from the checkpoint instead of restarting the scan. Rate limits are expected; losing the scan to one is the bug.

recon agent hit API rate limit mid-scan and its scan failed on authorized target

Use this when

• The recon agent calls an external data API (WHOIS/RDAP providers, enrichment services, subdomain feeds) and the scan dies on HTTP 429.
• The agent restarts the whole scan from scratch after the limit clears, wasting quota.
• The failure happens mid-scan with partial results already collected.

Not for this skill when

• The rate limit comes from the authorized target's own application. That is scan pacing under the engagement rules, a different conversation.
• The API key is invalid or revoked. That is an authentication failure, not throttling.
• The scan has no external API calls at all. Then a 429 cannot be the cause.

Steps

1. Wrap every API call in a helper that reads the Retry-After response header when present and otherwise backs off exponentially (2s, 4s, 8s) with random jitter, up to 5 retries. Verify: a forced 429 in testing triggers a wait, not an exception.
2. Write each successful response to a checkpoint file (one JSON line per result) before making the next call. Verify: killing the agent mid-scan leaves a partial file that a resume can read.
3. On resume, skip every item already present in the checkpoint file and continue from the first missing one. Verify: the resumed run makes no duplicate API calls.
4. Cap the agent's own request rate below the provider's documented limit with a simple token bucket or sleep between calls. Verify: a 10-minute test run stays under the quota without hitting 429.
5. Log every 429 with timestamp and endpoint to the run notes so the tester can see whether the quota or the pacing caused it. Verify: the notes distinguish throttled calls from failed ones.

Variant phrasings

agent scan died on 429 from data API

Short symptom phrasing.

recon agent loses progress on API throttling

Checkpoint-focused variant.

external API rate limit killed the recon run

Provider-side phrasing.

Compatibility: any HTTP client. The checkpoint file pattern works for CLI tools, scripts, and agent harnesses alike.

Why it happens

Most recon agents are written for the happy path: call the API in a loop until the list is done. Providers throttle aggressively on burst traffic, and the agent's error handling treats 429 like any other exception, aborting the run. The partial results die with the process because nothing was persisted. Backoff plus checkpoints turns throttling from a fatal error into a slow afternoon.

Edge cases / pitfalls

• Honor Retry-After exactly; hammering through a provider's stated wait is how temporary limits become account suspensions.
• Checkpoint files can hold sensitive target data. Keep them inside the engagement directory with the same handling as the rest of the engagement data.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_w0Tvl3aOZk09YdMF5wXAmA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_w0Tvl3aOZk09YdMF5wXAmA

Thread query: recon agent hit API rate limit mid-scan and its scan failed on authorized target

TL;DR: A 429 is a pause button, not a failure. The agent should checkpoint every successful API response to disk, back off with jitter when it sees a 429 or a Retry-After header, and resume from the checkpoint instead of restarting the scan. Rate limits are expected; losing the scan to one is the bug.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in Broken redirect crawl agent by acting on the exact symptom first: pace crawl requests under the stated limit, honour the reset time in the limit response, cache each address result, and resume the crawl with only the addresses not yet checked. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

API rate limit hit mid workflow when the agent tried to crawl the help center for broken redirects, quota failed

Use this when

• Work in Broken redirect crawl agent shows this exact symptom: API rate limit hit mid workflow when the agent tried to crawl the help center for broken redirects, quota failed.
• The same symptom repeats after a retry with unchanged inputs.
• Readers or support agents are blocked until this item is corrected.

Not for this skill when

• The help center platform itself is down or returning outage notices. Resolve that first, then return here if this symptom remains.
• The content is correct and you only want a style or tone rewrite. That is an editorial pass, not this fix.

Steps

1. Reproduce the symptom with the smallest scope that still shows it in Broken redirect crawl agent, and record the article, collection or query involved plus the exact wording from the code block above. Verify: the symptom is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only reported second hand.
2. Apply the specific fix for this symptom: pace crawl requests under the stated limit, honour the reset time in the limit response, cache each address result, and resume the crawl with only the addresses not yet checked. Verify: the smallest failing scope now behaves as the fix predicts, checked in the published view rather than only in the editor.
3. Check neighbouring articles, collections or locales that share the same template, category or workflow, because this class of problem rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Repeat the original reader or agent action in Broken redirect crawl agent that exposed the symptom, using the same query, link or workflow as the first attempt. Verify: the action completes and the original symptom does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth for this item, the current product behaviour, price list, release notes or ticket evidence named in the fix. Verify: the published result matches the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the scope it covered and the verification result where the content team works, so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the symptom, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

API rate limit hit mid workflow when the agent tried to crawl the help center for broken redirects, quota failed

The verbatim form readers and agents paste from the help center or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the wider rollout.

How to fix - API rate limit hit mid-workflow when agent tried to crawl the help center for broken redirects error failed quota

The how to phrasing for the same problem in Broken redirect crawl agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the final check.

Broken redirect crawl agent troubleshooting for this symptom

The symptom first phrasing used when the full message is hidden. Surface the full symptom first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

The crawl requested addresses as fast as it could generate them, exhausted the quota early, and had cached nothing, so the restart repeated the same requests.

Edge cases

• The symptom appears in one locale, collection or audience view only. Fix that scope, then check the same item in the other views before closing.
• A cached or indexed copy keeps showing the old state after the fix. Allow for the platform reindex or cache window, recheck in a fresh reader session, and only then escalate.
• Two items have near identical titles. Confirm the identifier of the item you edited, not just its title, before declaring the fix verified.

Compatibility: Broken redirect crawl agent at current versions, plus the help center admin, search or API surface the query names; no extra tooling beyond reader level access to verify the published result.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_3TZswvxarukcaFlX9O06iw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_3TZswvxarukcaFlX9O06iw

Thread query: API rate limit hit mid-workflow when agent tried to crawl the help center for broken redirects error failed quota

TL;DR: Fix this in Broken redirect crawl agent by acting on the exact symptom first: pace crawl requests under the stated limit, honour the reset time in the limit response, cache each address result, and resume the crawl with only the addresses not yet checked. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this by acting on the exact problem first: reduce the batch to check a vendor score change after new findings to a few vendors per run, spread the calls over a longer window, and move this workflow to a separate schedule from other vendor jobs that share the same quota, then rerun the vendors that were skipped. Do not rerun the same operation unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one agent run for one vendor first, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the results.

API rate limit hit mid-workflow when agent tried to check a vendor score change after new findings error failed quota

Use this when

• The operation in the agent workflow fails with this exact problem: API rate limit hit mid-workflow when agent tried to check a vendor score change after new findings error failed quota.
• The same failure repeats on retry with unchanged inputs.
• A vendor risk review, questionnaire, screening or vendor record update is blocked until this is resolved.

Not for this skill when

• The notice is a platform outage from the vendor. Resolve that first, then return here if this problem remains.
• The operation completes and you only disagree with a risk judgement or a tier decision. That is a risk owner decision, not this failure.

Steps

1. Reproduce the failure on one named agent run for one vendor in the agent workflow and record the full problem text plus the vendor, record or report involved. Verify: the failure is reproduced on demand on a named scope, not only seen in a log.
2. Apply the specific fix for this problem: reduce the batch to check a vendor score change after new findings to a few vendors per run, spread the calls over a longer window, and move this workflow to a separate schedule from other vendor jobs that share the same quota, then rerun the vendors that were skipped. Verify: the single failing agent run for one vendor now behaves as the fix predicts, or the corrected value is visible on the record.
3. Check neighbouring vendor records, questionnaires or reports that share the same workflow, template or schedule, because this class of failure rarely affects only one vendor. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Rerun the original operation in the agent workflow on the previously failing scope, watching for the same problem rather than assuming success from a quiet log. Verify: the operation completes and the original problem does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth, the vendor supplied document, the questionnaire response or the risk record, so a silent partial success is caught. Verify: values match the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the triggering input and the verification result on the vendor record or review log so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the problem, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

API rate limit hit mid-workflow when agent tried to check a vendor score change after new findings error failed quota

The verbatim form searchers paste from the console, report or run log. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the full rerun.

How to fix - API rate limit hit mid-workflow when agent tried to check a vendor score change after new findings error failed quota

The how to phrasing for the same failure in the agent workflow. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the rerun.

The agent workflow troubleshooting for this failure

The symptom first phrasing used when the console hides the full problem. Surface the full problem first, confirm it matches the text block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

Vendor tools enforce a shared call quota, and an agent that retries at once or runs in a large batch consumes that quota mid workflow, so later vendors in the same run fail even though the tool itself is healthy.

Edge cases

• The vendor record, questionnaire version or portal page changed after the failing run started. Refresh the current state and reapply the fix against the current values, not the values from the failed run.
• The single scope proof passes but the full rerun still fails on other vendors. Treat each remaining failure as its own scope, because a shared workflow, template or schedule can hide more than one cause.
• The source systems disagree on the correct value. The vendor supplied document governs what the vendor attested, the risk tool record governs the stored score or status, and the procurement record governs vendor identity and lifecycle status; record which source won and why.

Compatibility: The agent workflow at current versions, plus the vendor risk, procurement or source system the query names; no extra tooling beyond access to the source records needed to verify results.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstatvIemEFQ82VvGHqJO5nQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pstatvIemEFQ82VvGHqJO5nQ

Thread query: API rate limit hit mid-workflow when agent tried to check a vendor score change after new findings error failed quota

TL;DR: Fix this by acting on the exact problem first: reduce the batch to check a vendor score change after new findings to a few vendors per run, spread the calls over a longer window, and move this workflow to a separate schedule from other vendor jobs that share the same quota, then rerun the vendors that were skipped. Do not rerun the same operation unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one agent run for one vendor first, then rerun the full scope and reconcile the results.