What are Quotas, Limits & Offsets?
Quotas, limits, and offsets are common features of APIs that help manage the amount and type of data that can be requested and retrieved by users.
- Quotas: A quota is a predefined limit on the number of API requests that a user can make within a certain time period. Quotas are typically set by the API provider to ensure that users do not overload the system or exceed the API usage limits. Quotas may be based on various factors, such as the number of requests per minute, hour, or day, or the amount of data that can be retrieved.
- Limits: A limit is a restriction on the amount or type of data that can be requested or retrieved by a user in a single API request. Limits are typically set to ensure that users do not overload the system or exceed the API usage limits. Limits may be based on various factors, such as the number of items that can be retrieved, the size of the data, or the complexity of the request.
- Offsets: An offset is a parameter used in API requests to specify the starting point or position of data retrieval. Offsets are often used in conjunction with limits to enable pagination or partial data retrieval. For example, if an API returns a large set of data, the user may want to retrieve the data in smaller chunks, specifying the offset and limit for each chunk.
Quotas, limits, and offsets are important features of APIs that help manage the amount and type of data that can be requested and retrieved by users. These features help ensure system stability, prevent overloading or abuse of the API, and improve the overall user experience.
