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What's the best way to implement rate limiting for a public API?

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What's the best way to implement rate limiting for a public API?

Asked on Jan 25, 2026

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Implementing rate limiting for a public API is crucial to prevent abuse and ensure fair usage. The best approach is to use a token bucket algorithm which allows for flexibility and burst handling.

<!-- BEGIN COPY / PASTE -->
    const rateLimit = require('express-rate-limit');

    const apiLimiter = rateLimit({
      windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, // 15 minutes
      max: 100, // Limit each IP to 100 requests per windowMs
      message: "Too many requests from this IP, please try again later."
    });

    app.use('/api/', apiLimiter);
    <!-- END COPY / PASTE -->

Additional Comment:

Rate limiting helps mitigate denial-of-service (DoS) attacks by controlling the number of requests an IP can make.
Adjust the windowMs and max values based on your API's expected traffic and usage patterns.
Consider implementing rate limiting at the reverse proxy level (e.g., Nginx) for additional protection.

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Ask any question about Website Security here... and get an instant response.

What's the best way to implement rate limiting for a public API?

Asked on Jan 25, 2026

Answer

Additional Comment:

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