How can I throttle the Google Drive Copy File module to avoid API rate limits?

Below is one common approach:

1. Restructure your workflow: Instead of having one Google Drive Copy File node handle all rows at once, break up the process. Use nodes like SplitInBatches to split your rows so that each row is processed individually.

2. Introduce a delay between executions: After each file copy operation, add a Wait node. Set its delay to the desired number of seconds (e.g. 2–5 seconds). This pauses the workflow between requests, reducing the risk of hitting API rate limits.

3. Sequential Processing: By processing each file copy one by one (instead of executing them concurrently), you can control the speed at which API calls are sent.

Here’s a simplified example of how the workflow might look in n8n:

MERMAIDCopied
flowchart TD
    A[Google Sheet (Read Rows)]
    B[SplitInBatches]
    C[Google Drive Copy File]
    D[Wait Node (Delay)]
    E[Google Slides Create/other operations]
    
    A --> B
    B --> C
    C --> D
    D --> E

Key Points:

• The SplitInBatches node splits your list of rows so that the subsequent nodes process each row one at a time.
• The Wait node introduces a pause between each file copy. This is the throttling mechanism that helps prevent 400 series API errors due to rapid requests.
• Optionally, you can also add retry logic or use an exponential backoff pattern if your API responses are still error-prone.

This pattern is frequently used in n8n workflows to avoid hitting API rate limits, as there is currently no built-in throttling option in the Google Drive Copy File module itself. Adjust the delay based on your specific rate limits and test to ensure that the delays are sufficient.