What are the Limits of API Usage?
API usage is subject to several limits, which can vary depending on the API provider. To avoid hitting API usage limits, it's important to monitor your usage and stay within limits set by the API provider. You can also implement caching strategies to reduce the number of requests you need to make or optimize your queries to retrieve only the data you need. Here are some common limits that you may encounter when using APIs:
- Rate limits: APIs can limit the number of requests you can make within a specific time frame. For example, an API may limit you to 100 requests per minute or 1000 requests per day. These limits are in place to prevent abuse and ensure that the API is available to all users.
- Quotas: APIs may also limit the total number of requests you can make over a longer period of time, such as a month. Quotas are typically used to manage resource consumption and prevent overloading the API provider's servers.
- Request size limits: APIs may limit the size of individual requests to prevent abuse or protect against denial-of-service attacks. These limits may vary depending on the API and can be enforced in different ways, such as by restricting the size of request headers or the maximum number of parameters.
- Response size limits: APIs may also limit the size of the responses they return to clients. For example, an API may limit the number of records returned in a single response or the size of the response body. To retrieve more data, you may need to make multiple requests and paginate through the results.
- Throttling: APIs may slow down or block requests from clients that exceed certain limits. Throttling is typically used to protect against the overuse of resources or to ensure fair usage among all clients.
BY Best Interview Question ON 07 Apr 2023