Cloudflare Edge Errors
Rate Limited
Reviewed for reference consistency: August 11, 2026
Rate Limited
What 1015 Means
The 1015 error on the Cloudflare Edge Errors indicates rate limited. This typically occurs due to a configured rate limiting rule threshold exceeded by rapid sequential requests.
Error 1015 is Cloudflare edge-level response when a visitor exceeds a rate limiting rule configured by the site administrator. Unlike HTTP 429 Too Many Requests, which is a standard protocol-level signal, 1015 is a Cloudflare-specific error page rendered at the edge before the request reaches the origin server. The block is temporary and expires after the configured time window.
Technical Background
Rate limiting rules in Cloudflare operate at the edge, evaluating incoming requests against thresholds defined by the site owner. When a rule matches — for example, more than 100 requests to a specific path within 60 seconds — the edge stops forwarding that client traffic and returns the 1015 error page instead. The origin server never sees the blocked requests, which preserves its resources during abuse attempts.
The block duration depends on how the rule is configured. Some rules block for a fixed window (e.g., 60 seconds), while others use a sliding window that resets after the request rate drops below the threshold. Repeatedly triggering the block by continuing to send requests can extend the duration, as each new request resets the counter.
A common confusion is between 1015 and Cloudflare 1020 Access Denied error. Error 1020 blocks traffic based on firewall rules or WAF signatures — it is a security decision, not a volume-based one. Error 1015 is purely about request frequency: even a legitimate user sending too many requests too quickly will hit it, regardless of whether their traffic is malicious.
Common Causes
- A configured rate limiting rule threshold exceeded by rapid sequential requests
- Automated scraper or bot exceeding the permitted request volume per time window
- Credential stuffing attack generating repeated login attempts on a protected endpoint
- Shared IP address or NAT gateway aggregating traffic from multiple users past the limit
Typical Scenarios
- A scraping script requests 500 pages per minute, triggering a rule capped at 100 requests per minute
- A credential stuffing tool repeatedly submits login forms, hitting the endpoint request threshold
- Multiple users behind a corporate NAT share one public IP, collectively exceeding a per-IP rate limit
What to Know
For a legitimate visitor, the path forward is straightforward: stop making requests, wait for the configured time window to expire, then resume at a normal pace. Repeatedly refreshing the page during the block period can extend it. For site owners, 1015 appearing frequently for legitimate traffic signals that the rate limiting threshold is too aggressive — widening the time window or raising the request cap reduces false positives while still blocking genuinely abusive patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cloudflare 1015 error
Your IP address or session sent more requests to the website than a rate limiting rule allows within a given time window. The block is temporary and set by the site administrator, not by Cloudflare default configuration.
The duration depends on the rule configured by the site owner. Common windows range from 10 seconds to several minutes. Continuing to send requests during the block period may reset the timer, extending the restriction.
HTTP 429 is a standard status code returned by the origin server in the HTTP response header. Error 1015 is a Cloudflare edge-level error page generated before the request reaches the origin. Both signal rate limiting, but 1015 is specific to Cloudflare infrastructure and includes a branded error page.
Yes. Users behind a corporate NAT, VPN, or shared Wi-Fi all appear as one IP address to Cloudflare. If the combined traffic from all users behind that IP exceeds the rate limit, everyone shares the block. This is a known limitation of IP-based rate limiting.
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