Back to results for “Amazon API Gateway”
AWS › Amazon API Gateway

What is request throttling in API Gateway and why is it important?

Intermediate

Answer

Request throttling allows you to set limits on how many requests per second a client or the overall API can make, protecting your backend services from being overwhelmed by sudden traffic spikes or abusive clients, and it can be configured at the account level, the API stage level, or for individual usage plans tied to API keys.
aws apigateway update-stage --rest-api-id abc123 --stage-name prod --patch-operations op=replace,path=/throttle/rateLimit,value=1000
Real-world example A ticket booking platform sets a strict throttling limit during a popular concert release to prevent bots from overwhelming the backend database, while still allowing genuine customers to complete their purchases.

Common follow-ups: What happens to a request that exceeds the throttle limit?;How do usage plans work together with API keys?