Understanding Rate Limiting in Urbantz

Contents

1. What is rate limiting?
2. Default configuration
3. When does rate limiting occur?
4. Our communication process
5. How to identify rate limiting
6. What to do when encountering Rate limits
7. Rate limit configuration
8. Need help?

1. What is Rate Limiting?

Rate limiting is a protective mechanism that controls the number of API requests your integration can make to Urbantz within a specific time period. This ensures system stability and optimal performance for all customers.

2.Default Configuration

By default, the Urbantz platform has no rate limits.

Rate limits are only implemented reactively when our monitoring systems detect API usage patterns that could negatively impact platform performance or stability for other customers.

3.When Does Rate Limiting Occur?

Rate limits are applied only in specific circumstances:

• Abnormal request volume: Unusually high numbers of requests in a short time period
• Inefficient API usage patterns: Repeated requests that could be optimized
• Resource-intensive operations: Frequent calls to efficiency-expensive endpoints that impact overall system performance

4.Our Communication Process

If we detect problematic API usage, our teams will inform you before or immediately after implementing rate limits.

Our communication will include:

1. The usage patterns we observed - Specific metrics and examples of the API calls causing concern
2. Why these patterns are problematic - How the usage impacts system performance or stability
3. The rate limits being implemented - Specific thresholds and what they mean for your integration
4. Recommendations - How to adjust your integration to work within the limits

We work collaboratively with our customers to ensure any necessary rate limits are reasonable for their use case while protecting platform stability.

5.How to Identify Rate Limiting

• Urbantz Application Rate Limiting

When rate-limited by Urbantz, your requests will receive:

HTTP 429 - Too Many Requests

Response Body:

{

  "code": "040-000"

}

This error code specifically indicates that your request has been rate-limited by the Urbantz platform.

• Cloudflare Web Application Firewall (WAF) Protection

Urbantz uses Cloudflare's Web Application Firewall for DDoS protection. In cases of extremely high request volumes that resemble a DDoS attack, Cloudflare may block requests before they reach Urbantz servers.

When blocked by Cloudflare WAF, your requests will receive:

HTTP 403 - Forbidden

The response will include a Cloudflare-branded error page indicating the request was blocked for security reasons.

Key differences:

If you receive HTTP 403 errors from Cloudflare, this indicates your traffic pattern is being identified as potentially malicious. This is separate from Urbantz's application-level rate limiting and typically indicates a more severe traffic anomaly.

6.What to Do When Rate Limits Occur

For HTTP 429 (Urbantz Rate Limiting)

1. Implement retry logic with exponential backoff in your integration to handle temporary rate limiting gracefully
2. Review the communication from Urbantz - We will have provided details about the usage patterns that triggered the rate limit
3. Optimize your integration based on our recommendations
4. Contact Urbantz Support if you need:
   • Clarification on the rate limits implemented
   • Technical guidance on optimizing your integration
   • Discussion about your specific use case and requirements

For HTTP 403 (Cloudflare WAF)

1. Immediately reduce your request volume - This indicates your traffic pattern resembles a DDoS attack
2. Review your integration architecture:
   • Are you making requests in large bursts?
   • Are you properly implementing delays between requests?
   • Are there multiple instances of your application running unintentionally?
3. Contact Urbantz Support and provide:
   • Timestamps when the blocks occurred
   • Your integration architecture and expected traffic patterns
   • Any recent changes to your integration
   • Screenshots of the Cloudflare error page

We will work with you to distinguish legitimate high-volume traffic from attack patterns and adjust protections accordingly.

Rate Limit Configuration

Rate limits in Urbantz are configured on a per-platform basis and are tailored to each customer's specific situation based on observed usage patterns and platform requirements.

Need Help?

If you receive rate-limiting errors or want to discuss your integration's API usage, please contact Urbantz support and share the following:

• Your platform URL
• HTTP status codes received (429 vs 403)
• Timestamps when rate limiting occurred
• Description of your use case and integration architecture
• Relevant error logs or screenshots

Our team will work with you to ensure your integration is optimized and any rate limits are appropriately configured for your needs.