Capping API usage - API Console Help (2024)

You can explicitly cap requests in two ways: requests per second per user and requests per day.

Limiting requests per second per user

To prevent individual users from using up your API quota, limit the number of requests per second per user for an API. Each API includes a default per-user limit, but you can modify that value as described in the following section.

Individual users are identified by a unique string; if you're creating a server-side application (where the calling code is hosted on a server that you own) that makes requests on behalf of users, your requests must include the quotaUser parameter, as described below.

Note: Although per-user limits are specified in queries per second, we permit short-term usage spikes. Therefore, you should set your limits based on sustained average traffic levels. If anyone tries to use an API in excess of these settings, the requests will trigger a limit exceeded error.

To identify a user, use the quotaUser=userID parameter. This value is for short term quota enforcement only, so you don't need to use a real user ID. You can choose any arbitrary string under forty characters long that uniquely identifies a user.

The quotaUser parameter is only used for capping requests per user per second. If you don't send the quotaUser parameter, then all calls are attributed to your server machines, in which case calls can't be capped by user.

When sending any user identifier, be sure that you comply with any local laws, including any laws relating to the disclosure of any personal information you send with each request. Best practice is to include as little personal information as possible.

Modify the number of requests (available only when billing is enabled)

You can set daily limits to all requests to any billable API. Most APIs set default limits, but you can change that limit up to a maximum specified by Google.

To view or change daily billable limits for your API, do the following:

1. Go to the API Console.
2. From the projects list, select a project or create a new one.
3. If the APIs & services page isn't already open, open the left side menu and select APIs & services.
4. Click the name of the API you're interested in.
5. Click Quotas.
6. On the requests per day or requests per 100 seconds per user line, click the edit icon, then enter the preferred total billable daily quota, up to the limit specified by Google.

Note: You can set daily billable limits only on billable APIs. If your project doesn't use any billable APIs, then you can't set daily limits.