When integrating with third-party manufacturing APIs or services, rate limits restrict the number of requests you can make in a given period. To handle these effectively:

Understand the Limitations

Review the third-party API documentation to know the exact rate limits (e.g., requests per minute/hour).

Implement Caching

Store frequently requested data locally or in a cache (like Redis or Memcached) to reduce repetitive API calls.

Use Rate Limiting / Throttling Logic

Implement a queue or delay mechanism to space out requests and avoid hitting the limit (e.g., exponential backoff or token bucket algorithm).

Monitor API Usage

Track request counts and responses to identify when you’re approaching the limit.

Handle Errors Gracefully

If a rate limit error (e.g., HTTP 429) occurs, retry after the suggested “Retry-After” time rather than immediately resending the request.

Batch Requests When Possible

Combine multiple smaller requests into a single batch API call if supported.

Request Higher Limits

For production or high-demand use cases, contact the API provider for increased quotas or enterprise plans.