Shoplazza API rate limits
To ensure our platform remains stable and fair for everyone, all Shoplazza APIs are rate-limited. We use a variety of strategies to enforce rate limits. We ask developers to use industry standard techniques for limiting calls, caching results, and re-trying requests responsibly.
Compare rate limits by API
| API | Rate-limiting method | Standard limit |
|---|---|---|
| Admin API (REST) | Request-based limit | 2 requests/second |
The leaky bucket algorithm
All Shoplazza APIs use a leaky bucket algorithm to manage requests. This algorithm lets your app make an unlimited amount of requests in infrequent bursts over time.
The main points to understand about the leaky bucket metaphor are as follows:
- Each app has access to a bucket. It can hold, say, 60 “marbles”.
- Each second, a marble is removed from the bucket (if there are any). That way there’s always more room.
- Each API request requires you to toss a marble in the bucket.
- If the bucket gets full, you get an error and have to wait for room to become available in the bucket.
Rate limiting methods
Request-based limits
Apps can make a maximum number of requests per minute. For example: 40 API requests within 60 seconds. Each request counts equally, regardless of how much or how little data is returned.
This method is used by the REST Admin API.
REST Admin API rate limits
REST Admin API rate limits are based on the combination of the app and store. This means that calls from one app don't affect the rate limits of another app, even on the same store. Similarly, calls to one store don't affect the rate limits of another store, even from the same app.
Limits are calculated using the leaky bucket algorithm. All requests that are made after rate limits have been exceeded are throttled and an HTTP 429 Too Many Requests error is returned. Requests succeed again after enough requests have emptied out of the bucket. You can see the current state of the throttle for a store by using the rate limits header.
The bucket size and leak rate properties determine the API’s burst behavior and request rate.
The default settings are as follows:
- Bucket size: 40 requests/app/store
- Leak rate: 2/second
Rate limits header
You can check how many requests you’ve already made using the Shoplazza X-Shoplazza-Shop-Api-Call-Limit header that was sent in response to your API request. This header lists how many requests you’ve made for a particular store. For example:
X-Shoplazza-Shop-Api-Call-Limit: 32/40
In this example, 32 is the current request count and 40 is the bucket size. The request count decreases according to the leak rate over time. For example, if the header displays 39/40 requests, then after a wait period of ten seconds, the header displays 19/40 requests.
Retry-After header
When a request goes over a rate limit, a 429 Too Many Requests error and a Retry-After header are returned. The Retry-After header contains the number of seconds to wait until you can make a request again. Any request made before the wait time has elapsed is throttled.
X-Shoplazza-Shop-Api-Call-Limit: 40/40
Retry-After: 2.0