API Rate Guard

The complete skill for preventing rate limit failures with automatic failover and real-time monitoring.

One-time setup. Permanent protection. Auto-switches providers when limits approach. Never lose an API call to 429 errors again.

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What API Rate Guard Does

Your automation is running. Then a rate limit hits. One 429 error cascades into failed requests, broken workflows, and manual recovery. API Rate Guard prevents this entire failure chain before it starts.

It monitors every API call in real-time. When you approach a provider's limit (80%+ threshold), it automatically routes to a backup provider without intervention. Claude full? Switches to Kimi. Kimi busy? Routes to DeepSeek. Your automation keeps running while others are debugging at 2 AM.

Perfect for:

• Multi-agent systems that hammer APIs continuously
• Production automations that cannot afford downtime
• Anyone tired of babysitting rate limits across providers
• Workflows where a single 429 error breaks the entire chain

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⚡ All Capabilities Included

Real-Time Rate Monitoring — Tracks usage across all providers before every request, not just after failures Pre-Flight Request Guarding — Checks limits before executing, preventing 429 errors entirely Transparent Auto-Failover — Instantly switches to backup providers without code changes Multi-Provider Protection — Covers Claude, Kimi, OpenAI, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, Gemini, Groq, and any API ALWAYS_ON Architecture — Set once, protects forever. Survives reboots and resets automatically Smart Request Queuing — Holds requests during brief rate limit windows, then releases intelligently Auto-Discovery — Automatically detects your API keys and configures protection Persistent State Tracking — Remembers usage patterns across sessions Zero Configuration — Works immediately after one-command installation Cost Protection — Prevents expensive retry storms and wasted API calls

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What Makes It Different

Prevention, not reaction:

• Doesn't wait for 429 errors to tell you there's a problem
• Monitors limits proactively and routes before hitting thresholds
• Zero failed requests, not faster recovery from failures

Truly hands-off:

• ALWAYS_ON means no manual switching, no config updates
• Survives system restarts, model changes, and session resets
• Set it once, protection runs forever

Universal coverage:

• Works with any API provider, not just the big ones
• Custom rate limits for any service you use
• One guard for your entire API ecosystem

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Proven Patterns

Multi-agent protection:

Scenario: 5 agents running parallel, hitting Claude continuously
Without guard: First agent hits limit at 11 AM, all others fail
With guard: Auto-routes to Kimi at 80% threshold, zero interruptions
Result: 100% uptime, no manual intervention

Cost storm prevention:

Scenario: Automation retries failed requests aggressively
Without guard: 429 triggers retry loop, burns 10x API credits
With guard: Requests queued or rerouted, no retry storms
Result: 90% reduction in wasted API calls

Production reliability:

Scenario: Nighttime automation processes 1000 records
Without guard: Rate limit hits at 2 AM, process stops, manual fix needed
With guard: Seamless failover to backup, completes by 3 AM
Result: Zero downtime, zero 2 AM alerts

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How It Works

API Rate Guard operates as an invisible shield between your code and API providers:

1. Monitor — Tracks usage across all configured providers in real-time
2. Guard — Checks limits before every request (pre-flight validation)
3. Route — Automatically switches to available provider when limits approach
4. Queue — Briefly holds requests during transient limits, then releases
5. Recover — Restores primary provider when limits reset

Coverage:

• Claude (Anthropic) — All models
• Kimi (Moonshot) — All models
• GPT (OpenAI) — All models
• DeepSeek — All models
• OpenRouter — All providers
• Gemini (Google) — All models
• Groq — All models
• Any custom API with configurable limits

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Includes

• Complete skill documentation and setup guide
• One-command installation script
• Auto-configuration for detected API keys
• Monitoring dashboard setup
• Failover configuration templates
• Troubleshooting guide for edge cases
• Works on Claude, Kimi, GPT, or any supported LLM
• Compatible with all automation frameworks

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Requirements

• OpenClaw workspace
• At least one API key (Claude, Kimi, OpenAI, etc.)
• One-time $7 purchase
• That's it — protection activates immediately