What Does It Mean When Tumblr Says "Limit Exceeded"?

If you see the error message "Rate Limit Exceeded" when using Tumblr it means you have made too many requests in too short a time. This could be in relation to posting, reblogging, liking or messaging. If you have connected third-party apps and services to your Tumblr account -- to post on your behalf, for example -- then they might be responsible. Wait for the issue to resolve itself by leaving your Tumblr account inactive for a few hours. Follow the "Apps" link from the settings screen to see which third-party tools have access to your Tumblr account.

The error message "Login Limit Exceeded" indicates that you have made too many incorrect login attempts in too short a time. Double-check that you're using the right email address and password combination for your Tumblr account. If you think you might have forgotten the correct details then click the "Password help?" link on the login page. The error message may also mean your account is being accessed from too many different locations on the Web, or that an automated bot is trying to figure out your password. If you suspect your account may have been compromised, contact Tumblr support directly.

Tumblr includes a number of social functions, including liking, reblogging, following and messaging. These features are designed to be used to strengthen the Tumblr community and enable you to discover other content of interest on the network. The Tumblr Community Guidelines forbid you from using any of these features to spam other users or to try and artificially inflate your follower count. If you're abusing the social features built into Tumblr -- by liking hundreds of posts indiscriminately in an attempt to draw traffic back to your own blog, for example -- then you may receive a warning message about the way you're making use of the Tumblr platform.

Whether you've received a "limit exceeded" error message or not, it's worth reviewing the Community Guidelines published by Tumblr to better understand how the network is designed to work and how to stay inside its limits. The Community Guidelines cover non-genuine social gesture schemes (using the follow and reblog tools for self-promotion), spam (sending too many private or public messages) and mass registration and automation (using scripts and bots with Tumblr, which may over-burden the network).