Rate Limiting

Fordje Connect enforces rate limits per API key to ensure fair usage and platform stability.

Default limits

Every response includes rate limit headers so you can track your usage:

Header	Description
`X-RateLimit-Limit`	Maximum requests allowed in the current window
`X-RateLimit-Remaining`	Requests remaining in the current window
`X-RateLimit-Reset`	Unix timestamp when the current window resets
`Retry-After`	Seconds until the current window resets

When you exceed a rate limit, the API returns a 429 Too Many Requests response:

{
  "response_type": "error",
  "description": "Rate limit exceeded.",
  "error": "RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED",
  "status_code": 429
}

Use the Retry-After header (seconds) or X-RateLimit-Reset (Unix timestamp) to determine when you can resume requests.

Use pagination efficiently — Request larger page sizes (up to 500) to reduce total requests
Cache responses — Reference data like categories and units of measure change infrequently
Implement backoff — When receiving a 429, wait until the reset time before retrying
Monitor headers — Track X-RateLimit-Remaining to proactively slow down before hitting limits
Use bulk endpoints — Prefer GET /v1/data-points?ahj_ids=1,2,3 over individual AHJ requests