What is Rate Limiting and How to Add It in Django

Have you ever seen an error like “429 Too Many Requests”? That’s because of rate limiting. In this post, we’ll learn:

1. What is rate limiting
2. Why it’s important
3. How to add rate limiting in a Django project (with simple steps)

What is Rate Limiting?

Rate limiting means putting a limit on how many times someone can call your API or access a resource in a specific time.

Example:

“You can only make 5 requests per minute.”

It helps keep your website or API safe and fair for everyone.

Why is Rate Limiting Important?

• Stop Abuse

Stops bots or attackers from spamming your website.

• Save Server Resources

Avoids server overload and crashes.

• Fair Usage

Makes sure no one uses more than their share.

• Better Performance

Keeps your app fast and smooth.

How to Implement Rate Limiting in Django

We can use a third-party package called django-ratelimit

Step 1: Install the Package

pip install django-ratelimit

Step 2: Add to Your Django View

from django.http import JsonResponse
from ratelimit.decorators import ratelimit

@ratelimit(key='ip', rate='5/m', block=True)
def my_api_view(request):
    return JsonResponse({"message": "This is a rate-limited API!"})

What this does:

• key='ip' → limit by user’s IP address
• rate='5/m' → max 5 requests per minute
• block=True → block extra requests with 429 error

Now, Try hitting the API more than 5 times per minute from the same IP.

You will get

{
  "detail": "Request was throttled. Expected available in 60 seconds."
}

Rate limiting is simple but powerful. It keeps your API healthy and safe.

Let me know if you tried this in your Django project or if you want help with a specific use case!