Rate limit
A cap on how many requests your endpoint will accept in a given time window.
Think of it like
A security guard at a concert who only lets in 100 people per minute to avoid crushing.
Example
Your API might allow 100 requests per second; after that, new requests get a 429 error and have to wait or retry.
How it actually works
Rate limits protect the backend from overload and ensure fair use across clients. They're enforced at the gateway or application level and can be per-user, per-IP, or global. When hit, clients should backoff exponentially — hammering harder makes it worse.
For product teams
Rate limits protect your costs and infrastructure, but too strict and they frustrate power users.
For engineers
A sliding window or token-bucket counter that rejects requests once a threshold is crossed.
Related
- How long responses take when queued.
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