# Error: GitHub rate limit exceeded for https://api.github.com/repos/pulumi/pulumi-converter-terraform/releases/latest

## TL;DR
You hit GitHub's unauthenticated API rate limit while Pulumi fetched plugin release info. Set `GITHUB_TOKEN` for a much higher limit, or wait the duration in the message and retry.

## The error

```
GitHub rate limit exceeded for https://api.github.com/repos/pulumi/pulumi-converter-terraform/releases/latest, try again in 7m51.830125s. You can set GITHUB_TOKEN to make an authenticated request with a higher rate limit.
```

## Fix it

1. Read the `try again in [duration]` value. That is the exact wait.
   - Success check: you know whether waiting is practical.
2. For an immediate fix: `export GITHUB_TOKEN [your value] token]` and re-run the Pulumi command.
   - Success check: the API call authenticates and the rate-limit error disappears.
3. In CI, set `GITHUB_TOKEN` (or `secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN`) as a standard step before anything that downloads Pulumi plugins.
   - Success check: repeated runs stop 403ing on plugin metadata fetches.
4. If you just finished a build-heavy session, the limit may clear on its own within the hour. Retry before changing anything else.
   - Success check: the same command works with no changes after the window.

## When to use this
You hit this on any Pulumi command that downloads a plugin or converter from GitHub releases, especially on shared CI runners or right after build activity.

## When NOT to use this
Do not use this for 404s on plugin downloads (wrong plugin name or version) or for registry auth errors. This is specifically the 60-requests/hour unauthenticated limit.

## Compatibility
Pulumi CLI 3.x. GitHub API rate limits are external to Pulumi.

## Variants
- `rate limit exceeded: 403 HTTP error fetching plugin from https://api.github.com/...`
- The same message naming other repos (`pulumi/pulumi-aws`, provider repos) instead of the converter repo

## Root cause
Pulumi resolves "latest" plugin versions via the GitHub releases API. Unauthenticated callers get 60 requests/hour per IP, which shared environments exhaust quickly.

## Edge cases
- A token with no special scopes is enough; it only needs to identify you for the higher limit.
- Caching plugins locally (`pulumi plugin install` once, reuse) avoids the API call entirely on repeat runs.