> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.shippeek.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Rate limiting

> Understand ShipPeek API rate limits and how to handle them.

The ShipPeek API enforces rate limits per endpoint to ensure reliability for all users.

## Limits by endpoint

| Endpoint                 | Limit               |
| ------------------------ | ------------------- |
| Authentication           | 5 requests/minute   |
| Rate shopping (`/rates`) | 30 requests/minute  |
| Booking (`/book`)        | 20 requests/minute  |
| Tracking (`/track`)      | 120 requests/minute |

## Response headers

Every response includes rate limit headers:

| Header                  | Description                              |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| `X-RateLimit-Limit`     | Maximum requests allowed per window      |
| `X-RateLimit-Remaining` | Requests remaining in the current window |
| `X-RateLimit-Reset`     | Seconds until the limit resets           |

## Handling rate limits

When you exceed the limit, the API returns `429 Too Many Requests`. Use the `X-RateLimit-Reset` header to determine when to retry.

```javascript theme={null}
async function fetchWithRetry(url, options) {
  const response = await fetch(url, options);

  if (response.status === 429) {
    const resetSeconds = parseInt(response.headers.get('X-RateLimit-Reset'), 10);
    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, resetSeconds * 1000));
    return fetch(url, options);
  }

  return response;
}
```

## Recommendations

* **Cache rate quotes** -- Use the quote ID to retrieve rates later instead of making repeated rate requests.
* **Use streaming** -- The `/rates/ltl/stream` endpoint returns rates as they arrive via SSE, reducing the need for polling.
* **Batch operations** -- Group related items into a single rate request rather than making separate requests per item.