# MCP limits

> The MCP server follows the same limits as the REST routes it wraps. This page lists them and what the MCP server does not do yet.

## How limits apply

Each MCP tool call goes to a REST route. The same limits and refusals apply.

- Ingest quotas apply to `ingest_text`.
- A call over the per-minute limit returns `429` with a `Retry-After` header. Wait for the number of seconds in that header, then retry.

## Limits by tool

| Tool | Wraps | Limit that applies |
|---|---|---|
| `ingest_text` | POST /v1/vault/ingest/text | Ingest quotas, per-minute limit |
| `assemble_context` | POST /v1/context/assemble | Per-minute limit |

`ingest_text` and `assemble_context` do not use the `/v1/memory` routes. For the limits of the Memory API, see the [Memory API docs](/docs/memory-api/overview).

## Handling a 429

```
HTTP/1.1 429 Too Many Requests
Retry-After: <seconds>
```

Read `Retry-After`, wait that long, then send the call again. Do not send repeated calls before the wait ends.

## What MCP does not do

- A sign-in token reaches fewer tools than the app key: no `provision_app` and no owner-only change. Keys work as before: send a key in the `Authorization` header as `Bearer <key>`.
- With no `Authorization` header, the server offers only `provision_app`.
- Some tools need a particular key. `provision_user`, `get_claim_link` and `get_setup_bundle` need the app key (`fsa_`). `ingest_text`, `assemble_context`, `list_tools`, `configure_oauth` and `action_history` need a person's key (`fsk_`). `describe` and `diagnose` take any key.
- Calls are scoped to the key's user.
- No conversation transcript capture. `ingest_text` is for text notes and durable facts, not streaming transcripts.

## Next

- [MCP overview](/docs/mcp/overview)
- [MCP tools](/docs/mcp/tools)
- [Memory API errors](/docs/memory-api/errors)