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Rate Limits

Gale enforces rate limits to ensure consistent performance and prevent abuse.

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Current Limits

API Key TypeRequests per Minute
Test keys (glm_test_*)100
Live keys (glm_live_*)1000
Limits are enforced per API key across all endpoints. All requests count toward your limit regardless of HTTP method (GET, POST, etc.).

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Rate Limit Headers

Every API response includes rate limit information: 
X-RateLimit-Limit: 1000
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 995
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1698345600
  • X-RateLimit-Limit: Total requests allowed per minute
  • X-RateLimit-Remaining: Requests remaining in current window
  • X-RateLimit-Reset: Unix timestamp when the limit resets

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Handling Rate Limits

When you exceed the rate limit, you’ll receive a 429 response: 
{
  "error": {
    "code": "rate_limit_exceeded",
    "message": "Too many requests. Please try again in 30 seconds."
  }
}
Response includes: 
HTTP/1.1 429 Too Many Requests
Retry-After: 30
The Retry-After header indicates seconds to wait before retrying.

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Best Practices

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1. Implement Exponential Backoff

async function makeRequestWithRetry(url, options, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
    const response = await fetch(url, options);

    if (response.status === 429) {
      const retryAfter = response.headers.get('Retry-After') || (2 ** i);
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, retryAfter * 1000));
      continue;
    }

    return response;
  }

  throw new Error('Max retries exceeded');
}

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2. Use Webhooks Instead of Polling

Don’t poll for order status - use webhooks: Bad: 
// Polling every second
setInterval(async () => {
  const order = await getOrder(orderId);
}, 1000);
Good: 
// Use webhooks
app.post('/webhooks/gale', (req, res) => {
  if (req.body.type === 'order.created') {
    handleOrder(req.body.data);
  }
});

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3. Batch Operations

Use batch endpoints when available: 
// Instead of multiple requests
for (const product of products) {
  await checkEligibility(product); // 100 requests
}

// Use batch endpoint
await batchCheckEligibility(products); // 1 request

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4. Cache Results

Cache eligibility checks and product data: 
const cache = new Map();

async function getProductEligibility(productId) {
  if (cache.has(productId)) {
    return cache.get(productId);
  }

  const result = await checkEligibility(productId);
  cache.set(productId, result);
  return result;
}

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Request Higher Limits

Need higher limits for your production use case? Contact support@withgale.com with:
  • Your use case description
  • Expected request volume
  • Current API key