Rate Limits

The API uses rate limiting to ensure fair usage and protect system stability. Understanding these limits helps you build reliable integrations.

Current Limits

Rate limits are applied per API key and reset on a rolling window:

Per Minute

120

requests per minute

Per Hour

3,600

requests per hour

Note: Rate limits are shared across all endpoints for a given API key. Using multiple API keys allows for independent rate limit quotas.

Rate Limit Headers

Every API response includes headers to help you track your rate limit status:

Header	Description	Example
`X-RateLimit-Limit`	Maximum requests per minute	`120`
`X-RateLimit-Remaining`	Remaining requests in current window	`115`
`X-RateLimit-Reset`	Unix timestamp when the window resets	`1703520000`
`Retry-After`	Seconds to wait (only on 429)	`60`

Reading Rate Limit Headers

Check these headers to monitor your usage and avoid hitting limits:

Check Rate Limit Status

curl -i https://deadlinkradar.com/api/v1/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer dlr_your_api_key"

# Response headers include:
# X-RateLimit-Limit: 120
# X-RateLimit-Remaining: 119
# X-RateLimit-Reset: 1703520000

Rate Limit Exceeded

When you exceed the rate limit, you'll receive a 429 Too Many Requests response:

429Too Many Requests

{
  "error": {
    "code": "RATE_LIMITED",
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded. Please wait before making more requests.",
    "status": 429,
    "details": {
      "retryAfter": 60,
      "limit": 120,
      "remaining": 0
    }
  }
}

Handling Rate Limits

Implement retry logic with exponential backoff to gracefully handle rate limits:

Retry with Exponential Backoff

# After receiving 429, wait and retry
# Check Retry-After header for wait time

curl https://deadlinkradar.com/api/v1/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer dlr_your_api_key"

# If 429 response, wait for Retry-After seconds
sleep 60  # Wait based on Retry-After header
curl https://deadlinkradar.com/api/v1/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer dlr_your_api_key"

Best Practices

Monitor rate limit headers

Track X-RateLimit-Remaining to proactively slow down before hitting limits

Implement exponential backoff

On 429 responses, wait with increasing delays: 1s, 2s, 4s, 8s...

Use batch endpoints

Create or delete multiple links in a single request to reduce API calls

Cache responses when possible

Avoid redundant requests by caching link statuses locally

Use webhooks for status updates

Instead of polling, receive push notifications when link statuses change

Spread requests over time

Avoid bursts by queuing and spacing out requests

Need Higher Limits?

If you need higher rate limits for your application, contact us to discuss enterprise options.

Contact Support

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