arXiv updated its rate limit policy for submitters. It now limits submitters to two submissions per calendar month. It also caps active submissions at three at any time. The change took effect on October 1st, 2026. It aims to distribute moderator time fairly. It also seeks to curb low-quality submissions driven by AI tools. Submissions doubled in the past two years. September 2026 saw 40,363 submissions. These generated almost 9,000 support tickets. The policy applies across all categories. Deleted submissions before announcement do not count toward limits. Rejected submissions still count toward the monthly total. Co-authors are unaffected by the submitter’s rate limits.
What changed
Rate limits were primarily left to moderator discretion with no fixed cap.
What it unlocks
Equitable distribution of moderator time across all authors.
- 40,363 submissions in September 2026
- 9,000 support tickets generated
- 2 submissions per calendar month limit
- 3 total active submissions limit
Sources