When a website experiences an overwhelming number of requests within a short period, it triggers a “Too Many Requests” error, indicated by the code 429. This response is sent by web servers to limit the amount of bandwidth and prevent potential abuse.
The 429 status code is often used in conjunction with other codes, such as 503 Service Unavailable, to provide more detailed information about the error. In some cases, a 429 response may be caused by a legitimate traffic surge or an overload of resources, while others could indicate malicious activity like brute-force attacks or denial-of-service (DoS) assaults.
To mitigate this issue, web developers can implement strategies such as:
– Rate limiting: restricting the number of requests from a specific IP address within a certain timeframe
– IP blocking: temporarily or permanently banning offending IP addresses
– Load balancing: distributing incoming traffic across multiple servers to reduce the load on individual systems
By understanding and addressing the root causes of 429 errors, web developers can ensure their websites remain accessible and functional for users.
Source: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/agents-take-key-early-2025-nfl-offseason-dates-with-contractual-and-potential-salary-cap-ramifications