Rate limiting is a critical technique to protect your API from abuse and ensure fair resource distribution. It restricts the number of requests a client can make within a specific time frame. Here's how to implement it effectively:

Why Use Rate Limiting? ⚠️

  • Prevent DDoS attacks 🛡️
  • Ensure service quality 📈
  • Avoid overloading servers 💥
  • Enforce API usage policies 📜

Implementation Methods 🛠️

1. Nginx Configuration 🌐

limit_req_zone $binary_remote_addr zone=one:10m rate=5r/s;
location /api {
    limit_req zone=one burst=20;
    proxy_pass http://backend;
}
rate_limiting

2. Express.js Middleware 📱

const rateLimit = require("express-rate-limit");
app.use(rateLimit({ windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, max: 100 }));
express_rate_limiting

3. Docker with Redis 🐳

Use Redis to track request counts across containers:

RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y redis-server
docker_redis_rate_limiting

Best Practices ✅

  • Use token bucket or moving window algorithms for better accuracy
  • Monitor rate limiting stats with Prometheus 📊
  • Adjust limits based on traffic patterns 📈
  • Always test with load testing tools 🧪

For advanced strategies, check our API Security Guide 📚. Would you like to explore a specific implementation method?