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Rate Limiting ​

The API implements rate limiting as a security measure to protect your instance from denial-of-service (DoS) and brute-force attacks. This is a crucial feature for maintaining the security and stability of the application.

How It Works ​

The rate limiter restricts the number of requests an IP address can make within a specific time frame. These limits are configurable via environment variables to suit your security needs.

By default, the limits are:

  • 100 requests per 1 minute per IP address.

If this limit is exceeded, the API will respond with an HTTP 429 Too Many Requests status code.

Response Body ​

When an IP address is rate-limited, the API will return a JSON response with the following format:

json
{
	"status": 429,
	"message": "Too many requests from this IP, please try again after 15 minutes"
}

Configuration ​

You can customize the rate-limiting settings by setting the following environment variables in your .env file:

  • RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS: The time window in milliseconds. Defaults to 60000 (1 minute).
  • RATE_LIMIT_MAX_REQUESTS: The maximum number of requests allowed per IP address within the time window. Defaults to 100.

Handling Rate Limits ​

If you are developing a client that interacts with the API, you should handle rate limiting gracefully:

  1. Check the Status Code: Monitor for a 429 HTTP status code in responses.
  2. Implement a Retry Mechanism: When you receive a 429 response, it is best practice to wait before retrying the request. Implementing an exponential backoff strategy is recommended.
  3. Check Headers: The response will include the following standard headers to help you manage your request rate:
    • RateLimit-Limit: The maximum number of requests allowed in the current window.
    • RateLimit-Remaining: The number of requests you have left in the current window.
    • RateLimit-Reset: The time when the rate limit window will reset, in UTC epoch seconds.

Excluded Endpoints ​

Certain essential endpoints are excluded from rate limiting to ensure the application's UI remains responsive. These are:

  • /auth/status
  • /settings/system

These endpoints can be called as needed without affecting your rate limit count.