Rate Limiting

The Virtual Inventory Public API implements rate limiting to ensure system stability and fair resource allocation among all clients.

Understanding Rate Limits

Name
Request Limits
Description
There are limits to the number of API requests you can make within a given time period
Name
Status Code
Description
When you exceed the rate limit, the API will respond with a 429 (Too Many Requests) status code
Name
Headers
Description
Rate limit information is included in response headers:
- X-RateLimit-Limit: Maximum requests per window
- X-RateLimit-Remaining: Remaining requests in current window
- X-RateLimit-Reset: Time when the rate limit resets

Best Practices

Name
Exponential Backoff
Description
Implement exponential backoff when retrying rate-limited requests
Name
Request Batching
Description
Batch related requests together to minimize API calls
Name
Monitoring
Description
Monitor rate limit headers to stay within limits
Name
Caching
Description
Cache responses when possible to reduce API calls

Example Implementation

Rate Limit Handling

async function makeRequest(url: string, retries = 3): Promise<Response> {
  for (let i = 0; i < retries; i++) {
    try {
      const response = await fetch(url);
      
      // Check rate limit headers
      const remaining = response.headers.get('X-RateLimit-Remaining');
      const reset = response.headers.get('X-RateLimit-Reset');
      
      if (response.status === 429) {
        // Calculate delay with exponential backoff
        const delay = Math.min(1000 * Math.pow(2, i), 8000);
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
        continue;
      }
      
      return response;
    } catch (error) {
      if (i === retries - 1) throw error;
    }
  }
  throw new Error('Max retries exceeded');
}

While specific rate limits are still being finalized, implementing these best practices will help ensure your integration remains robust when limits are enforced.