Errors and limits

Limits

Chat-backed commands (ask, exec, ask-batch, wait) are limited per machine to 10 per rolling minute and 100 per rolling hour; a trip exits 1 with a wait hint. The backend can’t yet serve many concurrent research turns — use ask-batch, not your own loop. Direct commands aren’t limited. All commands are free today; cost_usd fields report for observability only.

Cap	Value
`search --query` values	8 (`semantic-search`: 4)
Results per call	50 (`--max-results` is clamped; paginate with `--offset`)
`--offset`	Clamped at 500 for `search`, 200 for `semantic-search` — silently
`related --n`, `excerpts --max`	1–50
`ask --estimate`	Not rate-limited

Exit codes

Code	Meaning
`0`	success
`1`	error — bad input, rate-limit trip, or no credential in headless mode
`124`	`--timeout` reached; a partial answer is still returned and the session kept
`130`	interrupted with Ctrl-C
`141`	broken pipe (e.g. `\| head`); exits silently

Errors

Message	Means	Fix
`nisa: not authenticated. Set RAPIDREVIEW_KEY, or run ./nisa (interactive) or ./nisa login in a terminal.`	A subcommand ran headless with no credential	Set the key, or sign in once in a terminal
`nisa: no TTY for interactive onboarding. Set RAPIDREVIEW_KEY or run ./nisa login in a terminal.`	Bare `nisa` (the chat) with no credential and no terminal	Same
`403 API key management requires browser login`	`nisa keys list\|create\|revoke` while a key is the credential in use — `RAPIDREVIEW_KEY`, or the key the CLI’s browser onboarding stored	Manage keys in the web app (Settings → API Keys), or `nisa logout && nisa login` first
`rate limit: N chat calls in the last 60s (limit: 10). Wait ~Ns and retry.` · `… in the last hour (limit: 100). Wait ~Nmin and retry.`	Chat cap tripped	Wait; use `ask-batch`; prefer direct commands
`search: too many queries (N); cap is 8`	Too many `--query` values	Split the call
`excerpts` `--format bibtex\|csv` rejected	Excerpts are JSON only	Drop `--format`
`--detach is incompatible with --workspace`	`exec` can’t detach while it must serve local tools	Drop one
Exit `124`	`--timeout` reached	Partial answer is in the JSON; session kept

With a TTY and no credential you get the sign-in picker, not an error. Freshness caveats (index_latest_pub_month) are on Searching the corpus.

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Reference

Limits

Exit codes

Errors

​Limits

​Exit codes

​Errors

Limits

Exit codes

Errors