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API Design Patterns: Rate Limiting, Pagination, Idempotency, and More

Every production API eventually needs the same set of patterns: rate limiting, pagination, idempotency, batching, and webhooks. Here's how to implement each one correctly — with the edge cases that bite you 6 months later.

1. Rate Limiting

Rate limiting protects your API from abuse and ensures fair usage. The three common algorithms:

Algorithm How It Works Best For

Token Bucket Tokens refill at a fixed rate. Each request consumes a token. Allows bursts. Most APIs (best default)

Sliding Window Count requests in the last N seconds. Smooth, no burst allowance. Precise rate enforcement

Fixed Window Reset count every N seconds. Simple but allows 2x bursts at boundaries.…