Rate Limiting

To ensure fair usage and platform stability, all API requests are subject to rate limiting.

Current Limits

Rate limits are applied per API key, not per IP address. Each key has its own independent counter.

Rate Limit Exceeded Response

When you exceed the rate limit, you will receive:

HTTP/1.1 429 Too Many Requests
Content-Type: text/plain

Rate limit exceeded. Try again later.

⚠️ The 429 response body is plain text, not JSON. Make sure your client handles this accordingly.

Best Practices

1. Use bulk endpoints — The /link/external/v1/bulkSave endpoint accepts up to 30 records per request, counting as a single API call. Use it instead of making 30 individual /link/external/v1/save calls.

2. Cache responses locally — If you need the same link data repeatedly, store the response and avoid re-fetching until your data changes.

3. Implement exponential backoff — When you receive a 429 response, wait before retrying. A recommended strategy:

   • 1st retry: wait 5 seconds
   • 2nd retry: wait 15 seconds
   • 3rd retry: wait 30 seconds
   • If still failing, wait 60 seconds

4. Monitor your usage — Distribute API calls evenly across the minute window rather than sending bursts.

5. Plan for growth — If your use case requires higher limits, contact the LinkShark team to discuss enterprise plans.