Instana REST API rate limits

The Instana REST API offers certain rate limits on the number of API calls you can make in an hour to help ensure fair usage and maintain the stability of Instana's services. Rate limits prevent abuse and help ensure that you have equal access to the API resources.

Rate limit policies

The Instana REST API has the following rate limit policies:

Maximum API Calls per Hour: You can make Up to 5,000 API calls per hour.

Rate limit headers

Each response from the Instana REST API includes the following headers to help you manage your request limits:

Table 1. Header in Instana REST API
Header name	Description
`X-RateLimit-Limit`	The maximum number of API calls that are allowed per hour.
`X-RateLimit-Remaining`	The number of API calls that remain in the current hour.
`X-RateLimit-Reset`	The time (in seconds since the Unix epoch) when the current rate limit window resets.

Managing rate limits

To manage your API usage within these limits, you can consider the following strategies:

Control rate limits

You can monitor the rate limit headers in API responses to track your usage. To deal with 429 Too Many Requests responses, use exponential backoff or request queuing.

Optimize API Calls

You must reduce the frequency of API calls by caching responses. Use bulk or batch operations when available to minimize the number of API requests.

Handle errors

Ensure that your application can handle rate limit errors and retry after the limit resets.

Example of rate limit headers usage

The following example shows the usage of rate limit:

curl --request GET \
  --url https://<TENANT>-<UNIT>.instana.io/api/<INSTANA_REST_API_ENDPOINT> \
  --header 'Authorization: apiToken YOUR_API_TOKEN'

# Example response headers
X-RateLimit-Limit: 5000
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 4995
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1609459200

FAQ

Q: What happens if I exceed the rate limit?

A: If you exceed the rate limit, the API returns a 429 Too Many Requests response. You must pause your request until the rate limit resets to avoid receiving 429 Too Many Requests response.

Q: Can I request a higher rate limit?

A: Higher rate limits are typically not available on demand. If you require a higher rate limit for your application, contact Instana support.

Q: How do I know when the rate limit resets?

A: The X-RateLimit-Reset header provides the time when the rate limit resets, in seconds since the Unix epoch. For more information on API usage and best practices, see API documentation.