To ensure the stability and availability of our API for all users, Meibel implements rate limiting. This page explains our rate limiting system and how to handle rate limit errors.
Understanding Rate Limits
Rate limits are applied on a per-API-key basis and vary depending on your subscription plan. Rate limits are calculated based on rolling time windows, typically per minute and per day.
Every API response includes headers that provide information about your current rate limit status:
| Header | Description |
|---|
X-RateLimit-Limit | The maximum number of requests allowed in the current time window |
X-RateLimit-Remaining | The number of requests remaining in the current time window |
X-RateLimit-Reset | The time at which the current rate limit window resets (UTC epoch seconds) |
X-RateLimit-Limit: 100
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 95
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1620000000
Rate Limit Errors
When you exceed your rate limit, the API returns a 429 Too Many Requests error:
{
"message": "Rate limit exceeded. Please retry after 45 seconds."
}
Retry-After header indicating how many seconds to wait.
Handling Rate Limits
from meibel import MeibelClient
from meibel.exceptions import RateLimitError
import time
import os
client = MeibelClient(api_key=os.getenv("MEIBEL_API_KEY"))
def request_with_retry(fn, *args, max_retries=5, **kwargs):
for attempt in range(max_retries):
try:
return fn(*args, **kwargs)
except RateLimitError as e:
if attempt == max_retries - 1:
raise
wait = e.retry_after or (2 ** attempt)
print(f"Rate limited. Retrying in {wait}s...")
time.sleep(wait)
Best Practices
Implement backoff and retry logic
When you receive a 429 response, use the Retry-After header to determine when to retry. Use exponential backoff as a fallback.
Monitor your usage
Check rate limit headers in API responses to stay within your limits.
Batch requests when possible
Combine operations to reduce the number of requests.
Cache responses
Cache API responses that don’t change frequently to reduce request volume.
Increasing Your Rate Limits
If you need higher rate limits:
- Contact sales: Enterprise customers can request custom rate limits by contacting sales@meibel.ai
- Optimize your usage: Review our best practices to ensure efficient API usage
Repeatedly exceeding your rate limits may result in temporary restrictions on your API key. Always implement proper rate limit handling in production applications.
