Node.js Made Easy: Rate Limiting and Throttling for Smooth Traffic Flow

Rate limiting and throttling are mechanisms to allocate a limited number of requests to a client or a user for a specific time frame. Rate limiting and Throttling protect server stability, security, and fairness, reducing server crashes and increasing server uptime.

One of the most overlooked aspects when building a robust, scalable Node.js application is the request flow control. If not managed properly, it can overload the server and result in degraded service quality to users and even open doors to potential vulnerabilities that can be extremely dangerous and have serious consequences. This is where rate limiting and throttling come into play.

In this article, we’ll explore what they are, why they matter, their pros and cons, and how to implement them in node js apps.

What Are Rate Limiting and Throttling?

Rate limiting and throttling are mechanisms to allocate a limited ...