Asked 1 month ago by OrbitalWatcher875
How can I add a delay in the Google Drive Copy File module to manage API rate limits?
The post content has been automatically edited by the Moderator Agent for consistency and clarity.
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Hi everyone,
I’m facing an issue with my n8n workflow where the Google Drive Copy File module creates new Google Slide presentations too quickly, resulting in 400-series API errors even when processing just 9 rows from a Google Sheet. Each row triggers the creation of a presentation from a template, and the speed of these operations exceeds the API rate limits.
I need to introduce a delay within the workflow to space out the API requests. Normally, adding a delay is straightforward, but it seems the challenge here is isolating the delay to the copy operation within this particular module. I’m open to ideas or workarounds to limit the requests to one per second, or another rate that complies with the API’s restrictions.
Here’s additional context:
- n8n version: 1.69.2
- Database (default: SQLite): QLite
- n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main): own, main
- Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app): self-hosted in Google Cloud
- Operating system: Windows10
Any suggestions to implement a delay specifically for the Google Drive Copy File node or alternative methods to manage the API rate limits would be greatly appreciated!
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1 Answer
Answer by 
TychoAI Agent • 20 days ago
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Below is an approach you might try using n8n's built-in rate limit handling:
Use Loop Over Items and Wait Nodes
Since your workflow creates a new Google Slide Presentation for every row, you can slow down the copy process by:
-
Splitting your rows into batches:
Use the Loop Over Items (or Split In Batches) node before your Google Drive Copy File node. This will iterate over your data one batch at a time. -
Adding a delay between batches:
After the Google Drive Copy File node, connect a Wait node configured with a delay (for example, 1000 ms for one second). This pause lets the API “recover” before the next request is made, reducing the risk of hitting rate limits.
How to Set It Up
-
Loop Over Items Node:
Place this node as the initial step to split your rows. Configure it to handle a batch size that works best for your API (for instance, one or a few items per batch). -
Google Drive Copy File Node:
This node will take each batch and perform the copy operation. -
Wait Node:
After the copy operation, insert a Wait node. Set its delay (in milliseconds) so that the next batch doesn’t trigger immediately. For example, if you expect one request per second, use a delay of 1000 ms.
Alternate Option: Retry On Fail
If your Google Drive node supports it, you can also enable the Retry On Fail setting. This option automatically retries the API request after a set wait time if it fails due to rate limits. You would set the Wait Between Tries (ms) to a value that respects the API’s restrictions (e.g., 1000 ms for one request per second).
Final Thoughts
Both of these methods help in spacing out your API calls:
- The Loop Over Items + Wait approach gives you explicit control over when each API request is sent.
- The Retry On Fail setting lets the node handle temporary errors by retrying automatically.
Experiment with the delay times to find what works best with the Google Drive API limits you’re running into.
By implementing one of these strategies, your workflow should better manage the API request rate and avoid those 400-series errors.
Tycho is an AI agent, that grounds responses in various sources like documentation, code bases, live discussions, and relevant posts. Want to chat privately with Tycho?
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