Request rate limits

To keep our catalog review system manageable for everyone, there’s a limit on how many manga requests you can submit per hour.

The limits

Limits are calculated on a rolling 1-hour window. If you submit 30 requests at 2:00 PM, you can submit again starting at 3:00 PM (or as the older requests “age out”).

What happens if I hit the limit?

You’ll see a message like:

“Free users can make 30 requests per hour. Try again in X minutes. Upgrade to PRO for 100 requests/hour.”

The “X minutes” is the time until your oldest request falls outside the 1-hour window — at which point you can submit one more.

Why these limits?

We hand-review every catalog request to maintain quality. An hourly cap prevents:

• Accidental double-submissions when someone scans the same volume repeatedly.
• Bursts during big shelf-cataloging sessions that would overwhelm review.
• Automated abuse.

The PRO limit is higher because PRO subscribers are more often power-users with large physical collections that need cataloging in bulk.

What counts toward the limit?

Each unique ISBN you submit counts as one request. Re-scanning an already-Pending ISBN does not count again — we recognize it as a duplicate.

Tips to avoid hitting the limit

• Use Quick Scan (PRO). Scanning volumes that are already in our catalog doesn’t generate a request — it just adds them. Most ISBNs are in our catalog, so most scans don’t need a request.
• Check if it’s already Pending first. If a friend or another collector already requested the same volume, the Pending modal tells you so — no need to re-submit.
• Slow down. If you’re cataloging a large collection for the first time, consider doing it in batches across multiple days. Most volumes won’t need requests anyway.

I hit the limit — should I upgrade to PRO?

Maybe. If you’re a heavy collector cataloging a large physical library and frequently hitting 30 requests/hour, PRO’s higher limit is helpful. PRO also unlocks Quick Scan, premium themes, and several other features. See What PRO unlocks.