docs(api): address rate limit review findings

- document the real 429 bodies: v1 returns { message }, v2 returns the structured error object
- exclude CORS preflight responses from the header guarantee
- describe monthly quotas as organisation-wide api/document/email counters, not envelope-only
- retry example: honor Retry-After exactly; cap only the exponential fallback delay
This commit is contained in:
ephraimduncan
2026-07-30 22:04:00 +00:00
parent d3eb0c7999
commit 478229aa90
2 changed files with 40 additions and 17 deletions
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ The rate limit applies to:
### Rate Limit Headers
Every response from `/api/v1/*`, `/api/v2/*`, and `/api/v2-beta/*` includes these headers:
Responses from `/api/v1/*`, `/api/v2/*`, and `/api/v2-beta/*` include these headers. The only
exception is CORS preflight (`OPTIONS`) requests, which are answered before the rate limiter runs
and carry no rate limit headers:
| Header | Description |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
@@ -60,23 +62,40 @@ Beyond HTTP rate limits, your account has usage limits based on your subscriptio
| Total Recipients | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Direct Templates | 3 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
### AppError-Based 429 Response
### Organisation Limit 429 Responses
Organisation windowed limits and monthly envelope quotas return an AppError response rather than
the global per-IP limiter's `{ "error": "..." }` response. For example, an organisation windowed
limit returns:
Organisation windowed limits and organisation monthly quotas produce 429 responses whose body
shape depends on the API version, and neither matches the global per-IP limiter's
`{ "error": "..." }` body.
On `/api/v1/*`, the body contains only a message:
```json
{
"code": "TOO_MANY_REQUESTS",
"message": "Too many requests, please try again later. Contact support if you require higher limits.",
"statusCode": 429
"message": "Too many requests, please try again later. Contact support if you require higher limits."
}
```
The monthly quota response uses the same `code`, `message`, and `statusCode` shape with a
quota-specific message. It does not add quota-specific rate limit headers or `Retry-After` because
the quota is not a time window. The global API headers described above may still be present.
On `/api/v2/*` and `/api/v2-beta/*`, the body is a structured error object:
```json
{
"message": "Too many requests, please try again later. Contact support if you require higher limits.",
"code": "TOO_MANY_REQUESTS",
"data": {
"code": "TOO_MANY_REQUESTS",
"httpStatus": 429,
"appError": {
"code": "TOO_MANY_REQUESTS",
"message": "Too many requests, please try again later. Contact support if you require higher limits."
}
}
}
```
Organisation windowed limit responses include the `X-RateLimit-*` headers and `Retry-After` for
their own window. Monthly quota responses carry no quota-specific rate limit headers or
`Retry-After` because the quota is not a time window; rely on the status code and message instead.
## Error Codes
@@ -87,10 +106,11 @@ the quota is not a time window. The global API headers described above may still
There are three sources of `TOO_MANY_REQUESTS` responses:
1. The global per-IP limit returns the `{ "error": "..." }` body shown above.
2. Organisation windowed limits return the AppError body shown above.
3. The monthly envelope quota returns an AppError body but does not add quota-specific rate limit
headers or `Retry-After`.
1. The global per-IP limit, returning the `{ "error": "..." }` body shown above.
2. Organisation windowed rate limits for the `api`, `document`, and `email` counters.
3. Organisation monthly quotas for the same three counters. Every authenticated API request
consumes the `api` counter, so any endpoint can return this 429 once the monthly API quota is
exhausted — not just envelope-related ones.
---
@@ -1000,9 +1000,12 @@ async function fetchWithRetry(
// Retry on rate limit
if (response.status === 429) {
const retryAfter = response.headers.get('Retry-After');
const delay = retryAfter ? parseInt(retryAfter) * 1000 : baseDelayMs * Math.pow(2, attempt);
// Honor Retry-After exactly; the cap only applies to the exponential fallback.
const delay = retryAfter
? parseInt(retryAfter) * 1000
: Math.min(baseDelayMs * Math.pow(2, attempt), maxDelayMs);
console.log(`Rate limited, waiting ${delay}ms...`);
await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, Math.min(delay, maxDelayMs)));
await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
continue;
}