# What happens if a supplier exceeds the weekly rate limit?

URL: https://www.procureflow.ai/docs/faq/auto-negotiations/what-happens-rate-limit-exceeded



They are excluded from the BAFO round, and their slot is **not backfilled** by the next supplier.

How rate limit checking works [#how-rate-limit-checking-works]

Each negotiation template has a **Supplier Weekly Rate Limit** setting that caps how many BAFO invitations a single supplier can receive in a rolling 7-day window.

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    A[Rank all suppliers] --> B[Take top N]
    B --> C[Check each against weekly limit]
    C --> D[Send invitations]
```

The system first shortlists the top N suppliers, then checks each one's rate limit. Excluded suppliers are **not replaced** by lower-ranked suppliers.

Excluded slots are not backfilled [#excluded-slots-are-not-backfilled]

If a supplier exceeds the rate limit, their slot is **not filled by the next supplier**.

| Template Setting | Supplier #1 |   Supplier #2   | Supplier #3 | Invitations Sent |
| :--------------- | :---------: | :-------------: | :---------: | :--------------- |
| Top 3 suppliers  |      ✓      | ⚠️ Rate limited |      ✓      | #1 and #3 only   |

The system does not pull in supplier #4 to replace #2.

Why this design? [#why-this-design]

This prevents supplier fatigue while ensuring only the most competitive suppliers receive invitations. If all top-ranked suppliers exceed rate limits, no automatic invitations are sent and the sourcing IC is notified to handle the RFQ manually.