API Rate Limiting Strategies That Protect Your Backend

Rate limiting protects a backend from being overwhelmed by a single client, whether through a bug, abuse, or simply unexpected popularity.

Token bucket algorithms tend to work better than fixed windows, since they allow short bursts of legitimate activity while still capping sustained load, and returning clear rate-limit headers helps well-behaved clients adjust automatically.

We set conservative default limits with an easy path to raise them for trusted partners, rather than either leaving APIs unprotected or blocking legitimate high-volume users.