Getting 429 Error When Using Jira REST API

[Basil Babu]

I’m working with the Jira REST API to fetch data for a project, but I’m running into a 429 Too Many Requests error

[Pavel Junek]

Hi Basil,

Welcome to Atlassian Community!

In Jira Cloud, the error "429 Too Many Requests" occurs when your application or script has exceeded the rate limit imposed by Atlassian's REST API. This is a protective mechanism to prevent overloading their servers and to ensure fair usage across all users and applications.

What Causes a 429 Error?

1. Exceeding Rate Limit:

   • Jira Cloud has a rate-limiting policy for API requests. When you send too many requests in a short period, Jira temporarily blocks additional requests.
   • The exact limit depends on your site plan and the type of API authentication (e.g., OAuth, Basic Auth, or API token).

2. Burst of API Calls:

   • Sending multiple API requests simultaneously or in a short burst can trigger this error.

3. Inefficient API Usage:

   • Polling frequently for updates instead of optimizing your API calls.
   • Running a script or integration that fetches large amounts of data repetitively.

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How to Handle a 429 Error

1. Respect the Rate Limit:

   • Atlassian's REST API uses a leaky bucket algorithm to manage rate limits.
   • Check the Retry-After header in the API response. It specifies how many seconds you must wait before retrying.

2. Optimize API Calls:

   • Consolidate multiple requests into fewer, more efficient ones.
   • Use pagination for large data sets.
   • Reduce polling frequency by leveraging webhooks to get notified of changes instead of continuously querying the API.

3. Implement Retry Logic:

   • Add logic to your application to retry failed requests after waiting for the time specified in the Retry-After header.

[Fazila Ashraf]

Hi @Basil Babu 

Welcome to community!

This error would mean that there is a high volume of requests at that time. Could you look at https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/jira/platform/rate-limiting/ and see how to adapt?