Rate limit differences to expect when you switch providers
Rate limits vary in structure, not just in number, across providers. Here is what to check before assuming your current logic still applies.
Tag
#rate-limits
Estimating your real quota needs before you switch
Guessing at request volume before a migration leads to either overpaying or hitting limits unexpectedly. Here is how to estimate it properly.
Rate limits, explained in plain language
Rate limits on My Geocode are simpler than they sound: a free daily allowance per network and per key, then prepaid credit or Unlimited coverage.
Why account-level and network-level quotas should both exist
An account-level quota tracks who you are. A network-level quota tracks where your traffic actually comes from. A serious system needs both.
What network-level rate limiting solves that per-key limits don't
A per-key limit alone assumes one key means one user. Rate limiting by network closes the loophole where that assumption quietly breaks down.
Handle a 429 response without losing the request
A 429 response means your allowance ran out for now, not that the request failed. Here is how to hold onto it instead of dropping it.
Read the X-Quota-Used and X-Quota-Limit headers correctly
Every response carries quota headers, but reading them correctly means knowing which one reflects your key and which one reflects your network.
Rate limits should be documented, not discovered
Finding your rate limit through a 429 error in production is not documentation. It is a support ticket that should never have needed to exist.