Anthropic introduces weekly rate limits to manage Claude Code overuse

Anthropic has announced the implementation of new weekly rate limits for its artificial intelligence (AI) coding assistant, Claude Code, to curb excessive usage and enforce fair access among subscribers.

The move follows a recent period of strain on the Claude Code platform, which has experienced multiple outages, at least seven in the past month, due to unusually high demand.

The change targets users who have been operating the AI tool non-stop in the background and those violating the platform’s policies by sharing accounts or reselling access.

Starting August 28, the updated usage policies will apply to subscribers on Anthropic’s Pro plan and the Max plans priced at $100 and $200 per month.

In addition to the current rate limits that reset every five hours, the startup has introduced two new weekly usage caps that will reset every seven days.

One of these limits covers overall usage, while the second is specific to Claude Opus 4, the company's most powerful AI model.

Max subscribers who need more capacity than the weekly allowance will have the option to purchase additional usage at standard API pricing.

According to an email sent to users and a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Anthropic emphasised that these changes are designed to ensure stable service and address misuse.

Moreover, Anthropic spokesperson Amie Rotherham stated that “Claude Code has experienced unprecedented demand since launch,” adding that the new limits are expected to impact fewer than 5% of users based on current activity.