What is the Rate Limiting Pattern?

Updated Apr 28, 2026

Short answer

A pattern used to control the rate of traffic sent or received by a network, preventing overload or abuse.

Deep explanation

Implementations use algorithms like Token Bucket, Leaky Bucket, or Fixed Window. It restricts the number of requests a client can make in a given timeframe, returning a 429 Too Many Requests HTTP status if exceeded.

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