Dictionary term
Rate Limit
Also called throttling
Automation PlatformsIntermediate
A cap an API sets on how many requests you can make in a given time window, beyond which requests are rejected or delayed.
In plain English
A rate limit is the maximum number of requests a service will accept from you in a set time. Go over it and your requests get refused.
Analogy
Like a highway on-ramp meter releasing only so many cars per minute.
Why it matters
Hitting rate limits causes failed steps, so you must throttle, batch, or add delays to keep automations reliable.
In practice
An API returning HTTP 429 after 100 requests per minute forces you to add a delay step.
Related terms
Sources
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