Rate Limiting

Rate limiting is a mechanism used to prevent abuse of the API by limiting the number of requests a client can make within a certain time period. This helps ensure fair usage of the API and protects it from being overwhelmed by too many requests.

How it Works

The rate limiting system tracks the number of requests made by each client. If a client exceeds the allowed number of requests within a specified time frame, the system will temporarily block further requests from that client.

Limit Parameters

• Request Count: The maximum number of requests allowed within the time frame.
• Time Frame: The duration within which the request count is measured.

Types of Rate Limits

• Hard Limits: These are strict limits that are enforced by the system. If a client exceeds the hard limit, they will be blocked.
• Soft Limits: These are more lenient limits that provide warnings before enforcing a block.

Common Use Cases

• Preventing Spam: By limiting the number of requests, the API can prevent spammy behavior.
• Load Balancing: Rate limiting helps distribute the load evenly across the API, preventing any single client from overwhelming the system.
• Monitoring and Analytics: Rate limiting can provide insights into the usage patterns of the API, which can be used for further optimization.

How to Handle Rate Limit Exceeding

If your application exceeds the rate limit, you should implement a retry mechanism with exponential backoff. This means that if you are blocked, you should wait for a certain amount of time before trying again, and increase the wait time each time you are blocked.

Example Code

import time

def make_request():
    # Your request code here
    pass

while True:
    try:
        make_request()
        break
    except RateLimitExceededError:
        time.sleep(2 ** current_attempt)
        current_attempt += 1

More Information

For more detailed information on rate limiting, please refer to our Rate Limiting Documentation.

Rate Limiting Images

Rate Limiting