API Rate Limits

Understanding how rate limiting works across our WMS, WFS, and REST endpoints. Ensure optimal performance and avoid throttling.

How Rate Limiting Works

GeoServer applies rate limits to maintain service stability, ensure fair usage, and protect geospatial workloads from overload. Limits are evaluated per API key, per IP address, and per account tier. When a limit is exceeded, the API returns an HTTP 429 Too Many Requests response.

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Rate limits reset on a rolling 60-second window. Exceeding limits does not suspend your account, but prolonged throttling may indicate inefficient request patterns.

Rate Limits by Tier

Plan WMS Tiles / min WFS & REST / min Concurrent Conn. Daily Quota Burst Allowance
Starter Free 300 120 5 100,000 req ±10%
Professional 2,500 1,200 25 2,500,000 req ±20%
Enterprise Custom / Unlimited Custom / Unlimited Custom Unlimited Configurable

Burst allowances allow temporary spikes above the baseline to accommodate map load events or batch queries. Sustained rates will be throttled to the base limit.

Rate Limit Headers

Every API response includes rate-limiting metadata. Monitor these headers to proactively adjust your request strategy.

# Standard Rate Limit Headers X-RateLimit-Limit: 120 X-RateLimit-Remaining: 45 X-RateLimit-Reset: 1715428800 Retry-After: 18 # Only present on 429 responses

Header Definitions:

  • X-RateLimit-Limit: Maximum requests allowed in the current window
  • X-RateLimit-Remaining: Requests left before throttling
  • X-RateLimit-Reset: Unix timestamp when the window resets
  • Retry-After: Seconds to wait before retrying (HTTP 429 only)

Optimization & Best Practices

🗺️ Cache Tile Requests

WMS tile requests are identical for the same viewport. Use client-side or CDN caching to reduce redundant calls by up to 80%.

📦 Batch & Paginate

Use `MAXFEATURES` and `STARTINDEX` for WFS queries. Group updates using bulk endpoints instead of individual POST requests.

⏱️ Implement Exponential Backoff

On 429 responses, pause and retry with increasing intervals (1s → 2s → 4s → 8s) to avoid hitting the limit repeatedly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I request a rate limit increase? ▼

Yes. Professional users can request temporary spikes via the dashboard. Enterprise users have configurable limits managed by their success engineer.

Are limits shared across all endpoints? ▼

No. WMS rendering, WFS feature queries, and REST API calls have separate counters to prevent map rendering from blocking data ingestion workflows.

How are requests from multiple apps counted? ▼

All API keys under a single account share the same tier limits. Use separate projects or upgrade your plan if you need isolated quotas.

What happens if I consistently hit 429 errors? ▼

Your requests will be queued and throttled, but your account won't be suspended. Our system will send an alert with optimization recommendations.

Need Higher Throughput?

Scale your geospatial workflows with dedicated infrastructure, custom limits, and priority routing.

Contact Enterprise Sales