davila7--claude-code-templates/cli-tool/components/skills/development/api-patterns/rate-limiting.md

Rate Limiting Principles

Protect your API from abuse and overload.

Why Rate Limit

Protect against:
├── Brute force attacks
├── Resource exhaustion
├── Cost overruns (if pay-per-use)
└── Unfair usage

Strategy Selection

Type	How	When
Token bucket	Burst allowed, refills over time	Most APIs
Sliding window	Smooth distribution	Strict limits
Fixed window	Simple counters per window	Basic needs

Response Headers

Include in headers:
├── X-RateLimit-Limit (max requests)
├── X-RateLimit-Remaining (requests left)
├── X-RateLimit-Reset (when limit resets)
└── Return 429 when exceeded