Temporal Cloud operations reference
info
For the OPS limit itself and how it scales, see Operations per second. For the primary rate limit on a Namespace, see Actions and Capacity Modes.
Temporal Cloud rate limits each Namespace using three measures. Actions per second (APS) is the primary limit, and Capacity Modes are expressed in APS. Requests per second (RPS) and operations per second (OPS) are lower-level limits that protect the underlying services.
An operation is any work that puts load on Temporal Server, whether a user starts it directly or Temporal runs it in the background on the user's behalf. Visibility queries are the exception. They pass through Temporal Server, but most of their load falls on the Visibility store, so they have their own rate limits separate from OPS.
Each operation in the table lists the following:
- Description: What the operation does.
- Priority: Foreground operations have higher priority than background operations.
- Effect of throttling: What you observe when Temporal Cloud throttles the operation.
| Operation ↕ | Description ↕ | Priority ↕ | Effect of throttling ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| ActivityRetryTimer | Internal Timer that schedules the retry of a failed Activity Execution. | Background | The Activity retry is delayed. |
| ActivityTimeout | Marks an Activity as timed out when its deadline passes. | Background | The Activity Task stays in flight longer and the timeout is delayed, which also delays any retry. |
| CompleteNexusOperation | Completes a Nexus Operation after the Worker responds. | Foreground | Cleanup and completion of the Nexus Operation are delayed. |
| CreateSchedule | Creates a Schedule. | Foreground | The Client receives a ResourceExhausted error, then backs off and retries. |
| CreateWorkflowRule | Adds a Worker Versioning rule for a Task Queue. | Foreground | Enforcement of the rule is delayed. |
| DeleteSchedule | Deletes a Schedule. | Foreground | The Schedule can keep running Actions briefly. |
| DeleteWorkerDeployment | Deletes a Worker Deployment record. | Foreground | Stale Worker Deployment metadata remains longer. |
| DeleteWorkerDeploymentVersion | Deletes one version from a Worker Deployment. | Foreground | The version appears valid until the task is processed. |
| DeleteWorkflowExecution | Permanently deletes a Workflow Execution's Event History and state. | Foreground | The data stays visible and storage is freed later. |
| DeleteWorkflowRule | Deletes a Worker Versioning rule. | Foreground | The rule stays in effect until the task is processed. |
| DeprecateNamespace | Marks a Namespace as deprecated. | Foreground | Clients still see the Namespace as active. |
| DescribeBatchOperation | Returns metadata for a batch operation. | Foreground | Reads from the Web UI and admin tools take longer. |
| DescribeDeployment | Returns details for a Worker Deployment. | Foreground | The response is delayed. |
| DescribeNamespace | Returns a Namespace's configuration. | Foreground | The response is delayed. |
| DescribeSchedule | Returns a Schedule's current state. | Foreground | The response is delayed. |
| DescribeTaskQueue | Returns statistics and configuration for a Task Queue. | Foreground | Monitoring dashboards lag. |
| DescribeWorkerDeployment | Returns details for a specific Worker Deployment. | Foreground | The response is delayed. |
| DescribeWorkerDeploymentVersion | Returns details for a specific Worker Deployment Version. | Foreground | The response is delayed. |
| DescribeWorkflowExecution | Returns summary information for a Workflow Execution. | Foreground | The Temporal CLI and diagnostic tools wait longer. |
| DescribeWorkflowRule | Returns a Worker Versioning rule. | Foreground | The response is delayed. |
| DispatchByEndpoint | Routes a Nexus Task to Workers by Nexus Endpoint name. | Foreground | Nexus Task routing latency increases. |
| DispatchByNamespaceAndTaskQueue | Routes a Nexus Task to Workers by Namespace and Task Queue. | Foreground | The Nexus Task starts later. |
| ExecuteMultiOperation | Runs several operations as one request, such as Update-With-Start. | Foreground | The request is delayed. |
| GetClusterInfo | Returns the Temporal Service's capabilities and versions. | Foreground | Temporal CLI and API calls take longer. |
| GetCurrentDeployment | Returns the current Worker Deployment. | Foreground | Rollout tooling sees stale information. |
| GetSearchAttributes | Lists custom Search Attribute definitions. | Foreground | SDK and Temporal CLI calls wait longer. |
| GetSystemInfo | Returns the Temporal Service's build and feature information. | Foreground | The response is delayed. |
| GetWorkerBuildIdCompatibility | Returns the Build ID compatibility sets for a Task Queue. | Foreground | Rollout decisions wait longer. |
| GetWorkerVersioningRules | Lists Worker Versioning rules. | Foreground | The response is delayed. |
| GetWorkflowExecutionHistory | Streams a Workflow Execution's Event History in order. | Foreground | Event History loads slowly in the Web UI and the Temporal CLI. |
| GetWorkflowExecutionHistoryReverse | Streams a Workflow Execution's Event History in reverse order. | Foreground | Event History loads slowly in the Web UI and the Temporal CLI. |
| ListNamespaces | Lists all Namespaces. | Foreground | Each page of results in the Web UI and the Temporal CLI loads more slowly. |
| ListScheduleMatchingTimes | Returns the upcoming times a Schedule will run. | Foreground | The preview takes longer. |
| ListTaskQueuePartitions | Lists the partitions of a Task Queue. | Foreground | Partition information lags. |
| ListWorkerDeployments | Lists all Worker Deployments. | Foreground | The response is delayed. |
| ListWorkflowRules | Lists all Worker Versioning rules. | Foreground | The response is delayed. |
| PatchSchedule | Applies a one-time change to a Schedule, such as triggering it or backfilling Actions. | Foreground | The change takes effect later. |
| PauseActivity | Pauses a running Activity. | Foreground | The Activity keeps running until the pause task is processed. |
| PollActivityTaskQueue | Worker long-poll for Activity Tasks. | Foreground | The poller receives a ResourceExhausted error, then backs off and retries, which slows Activity Task processing. |
| PollNexusTaskQueue | Worker long-poll for Nexus Tasks. | Foreground | The poller receives a ResourceExhausted error, then backs off and retries, which slows Nexus Task processing. |
| PollWorkflowExecutionUpdate | Client poll for the result of a Workflow Update. | Foreground | The Client waits longer for the result. |
| PollWorkflowTaskQueue | Worker long-poll for Workflow Tasks. | Foreground | The poller receives a ResourceExhausted error, then backs off and retries, which slows Workflow progress. |
| QueryWorkflow | Sends a Query to read a Workflow Execution's state. | Foreground | The caller receives the result later. |
| RecordActivityTaskHeartbeat | Records an Activity Heartbeat by task token. | Foreground | Heartbeats are delayed, which can cause a Heartbeat Timeout even though the Activity is still running. |
| RecordActivityTaskHeartbeatById | Records an Activity Heartbeat by Workflow ID, Run ID, and Activity ID. | Foreground | Heartbeats are delayed, which can cause a Heartbeat Timeout even though the Activity is still running. |
| RequestCancelWorkflowExecution | Requests cancellation of a Workflow Execution. | Foreground | The cancellation reaches the Workflow later. |
| ResetActivity | Restarts an Activity from the beginning. | Foreground | The Activity keeps running until the reset takes effect. |
| ResetStickyTaskQueue | Clears a Workflow Execution's Sticky Execution affinity to a Worker. | Foreground | Workflow Tasks stay bound to the previous Worker longer. |
| ResetWorkflowExecution | Resets a Workflow Execution to an earlier point in its Event History and starts a new run from there. | Foreground | The Workflow Execution continues from its current state until the reset takes effect. |
| RespondActivityTaskCanceled | Worker confirms that an Activity was canceled, by task token. | Foreground | The Workflow waits longer for the confirmation. |
| RespondActivityTaskCanceledById | Worker confirms that an Activity was canceled, by Activity ID. | Foreground | The Workflow waits longer for the confirmation. |
| RespondActivityTaskCompleted | Worker returns an Activity result, by task token. | Foreground | The Workflow's next step is delayed. |
| RespondActivityTaskCompletedById | Worker returns an Activity result, by Activity ID. | Foreground | The Workflow's next step is delayed. |
| RespondActivityTaskFailed | Worker reports an Activity failure, by task token. | Foreground | Retries and compensation logic are delayed. |
| RespondActivityTaskFailedById | Worker reports an Activity failure, by Activity ID. | Foreground | Retries and compensation logic are delayed. |
| RespondNexusTaskCompleted | Worker returns a successful Nexus Task result. | Foreground | Completion of the Nexus call is delayed. |
| RespondNexusTaskFailed | Worker reports a Nexus Task failure. | Foreground | Error handling is delayed. |
| RespondQueryTaskCompleted | Worker returns a Query result. | Foreground | The Client waits longer for the result. |
| RespondWorkflowTaskCompleted | Worker returns new Commands after completing a Workflow Task. | Foreground | The Temporal Service applies the Commands later. |
| RespondWorkflowTaskFailed | Worker reports a Workflow Task failure. | Foreground | The retry of the Workflow Task is delayed. |
| SetCurrentDeployment | Sets the current Worker Deployment for a Task Queue. | Foreground | The switch to the new version is delayed. |
| SetCurrentDeploymentVersion | Sets the current Build ID version. | Foreground | The rollout is held. |
| SetWorkerDeploymentCurrentVersion | Sets the current version of a Worker Deployment. | Foreground | The Worker Deployment stays on the previous version. |
| SetWorkerDeploymentRampingVersion | Sets the ramp percentage for a new Worker Deployment Version. | Foreground | The ramp is paused. |
| ShutdownWorker | Notifies the Temporal Service that a Worker is shutting down. | Foreground | The Worker keeps running longer. |
| SignalWithStartWorkflowExecution | Sends a Signal to a running Workflow Execution, or starts a new one and sends the Signal. | Foreground | The Signal and the start are both delayed. |
| SignalWorkflowExecution | Sends a Signal to a Workflow Execution. | Foreground | The Signal arrives later. |
| StartBatchOperation | Starts a batch operation, such as resetting or terminating many Workflow Executions. | Foreground | The batch operation starts later. |
| StartWorkflowExecution | Starts a new Workflow Execution. | Foreground | Start latency increases. |
| StateMachineOutbound | Sends outbound requests generated by the Temporal Service's internal state machines. | Background | Outbound requests queue up, which delays their side effects. |
| StateMachineTimer | Fires Timers managed by the Temporal Service's internal state machines. | Background | Timed events fire later. |
| StopBatchOperation | Stops a batch operation. | Foreground | The batch operation keeps running until the task is processed. |
| TerminateWorkflowExecution | Terminates a Workflow Execution. | Foreground | The Workflow Execution keeps running longer. |
| TransferActivityTask | Adds an Activity Task to its Task Queue for a Worker to pick up. | Background | Scheduling of the Activity Task is delayed. |
| TransferCancelExecution | Delivers a cancellation request to the target Workflow Execution. | Background | The target Workflow Execution receives the cancellation later. |
| TransferCloseExecution | Closes a running Workflow Execution. | Background | The Workflow Execution stays open longer. |
| TransferResetWorkflow | Starts a reset of a Workflow Execution. | Background | The reset is delayed and the Workflow Execution continues from its current state. |
| TransferSignalExecution | Delivers a Signal to another Workflow Execution. | Background | The Signal arrives later, which delays the logic that depends on it. |
| TransferStartChildExecution | Starts a Child Workflow Execution. | Background | The Child Workflow Execution starts later. |
| TransferWorkflowTask | Adds a Workflow Task to its Task Queue for a Worker to pick up. | Background | Scheduling of the Workflow Task is delayed. |
| TriggerWorkflowRule | Manually triggers a Worker Versioning rule. | Foreground | The rule takes effect later. |
| UnpauseActivity | Resumes a paused Activity. | Foreground | The Activity stays paused longer. |
| UpdateActivityOptions | Changes the Retry Policy or timeouts of a running Activity. | Foreground | The new options take effect later. |
| UpdateSchedule | Changes the configuration of a Schedule. | Foreground | The new configuration takes effect later. |
| UpdateWorkerDeploymentVersionMetadata | Updates the metadata on a Worker Deployment Version. | Foreground | The metadata stays out of date longer. |
| UpdateWorkflowExecution | Sends a Workflow Update to a Workflow Execution. | Foreground | The Update is accepted later. |
| UpdateWorkflowExecutionOptions | Changes the options of a Workflow Execution. | Foreground | The changes take effect later. |
| UserTimer | Fires a Timer created in Workflow code. | Background | The Timer fires later, including Timers created by a Workflow sleep. |
| VisibilityCloseExecution | Updates the Visibility record of a Workflow Execution when it closes. | Background | List results show the Workflow Execution as open until the task is processed. |
| VisibilityStartExecution | Creates the Visibility record for a new Workflow Execution. | Background | The Workflow Execution is missing from lists in the Web UI and the Temporal CLI until the task is processed. |
| VisibilityUpsertExecution | Updates the Search Attributes in a Workflow Execution's Visibility record. | Background | The Search Attribute changes appear later. |
| WorkflowBackoffTimer | Timer that delays the start of a Workflow retry or Continue-As-New run according to its backoff. | Background | The Workflow Execution starts later than the backoff specifies. |
| WorkflowExecutionTimeout | Enforces the Workflow Execution Timeout. | Background | The Workflow Execution Timeout fires later. |
| WorkflowRunTimeout | Enforces the Workflow Run Timeout. | Background | The Workflow Run Timeout fires later. |
| WorkflowTaskTimeout | Times out a Workflow Task that a Worker didn't complete in time. | Background | The timed-out Workflow Task stays outstanding and its retry is delayed. |