Rate limiting is essentially traffic control for APIs. When too many requests hit a system at once—whether from a heavy user, a malfunctioning script, or a bot—the API can slow down or even crash. Rate limits prevent that by setting a clear maximum number of requests allowed per minute, per hour, or per day.
Different API keys or user tiers often have different limits. A free user might get 100 requests per minute, while a premium user gets thousands. These limits help APIs stay reliable, prevent abuse, and guarantee that mission-critical services continue running smoothly even during peak demand.
Rate limiting keeps APIs fast, stable, and fair. In finance—where data volume is huge and delays can be costly—it prevents overload, protects infrastructure, and ensures real-time services stay available.
Rate limiting happens to prevent servers from being overwhelmed by too many requests at once. It maintains performance, protects against abuse, and ensures fair usage across all users.
You can batch requests, cache data, use webhooks, or upgrade to higher usage tiers. These strategies reduce repeated calls and help you stay within the allowed limits.
A trading bot calls a stock-price API every second. If it sends too many requests too quickly, it hits the API’s rate limit and the server temporarily blocks additional calls. The solution is simple: slow the request frequency or move to a higher plan that supports more requests.
FinFeedAPI uses rate limits to keep its data streams in the Stock API, Currency API, SEC API, and Prediction Market API. Developers can choose plans with limits that match their needs, from light dashboards to high-frequency applications. Clear rate-limit headers make it easy to monitor usage and avoid interruptions.
