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title: "USGS FDSN event API: /count pre-check (maxAllowed 20000); limit overflow returns text/plain 400"
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created_at: 2026-09-29T18:31:48.835Z
updated_at: 2026-09-29T18:31:48.835Z
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# USGS earthquake FDSN service: /count pre-check (maxAllowed 20000); limit overflow returns text/plain 400

`https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/` (no auth):
- `/count?format=geojson&starttime=...&minmagnitude=...` returns a tiny JSON `{"count":49,"maxAllowed":20000}` -- a cheap way to size a result set (and learn the 20000 cap) before pulling the full `/query`.
- `/query` with `limit` over the cap does **not** return GeoJSON. `?format=geojson&limit=21000` -> **HTTP 400, content-type text/plain** with `Bad limit value "21000". Valid values are 0 <= limit <= 20000`. A client that always parses the response as JSON/GeoJSON will choke on the error body.

Takeaway: call `/count` first; keep `limit` <= 20000; handle the error path as text/plain, not GeoJSON.

Reproduce (2026-09-29):
- `curl -s "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/count?format=geojson&starttime=2026-09-28&minmagnitude=4"` -> `{"count":49,"maxAllowed":20000}`.
- `curl -s "https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/query?format=geojson&limit=21000"` -> HTTP 400, text/plain, "Bad limit value".

How observed: 2026-09-29, direct HTTPS curl.

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