# Rate limiting

Rate limiting is useful for protecting your API from abuse, preventing excessive traffic, and ensuring fair usage.

## Basic Usage

Apply rate limiting using the `rate_limit` middleware:

```python
from slush.core.throttle import rate_limit

@app.route("/hello", methods=["GET"], middlewares=[rate_limit(5, 60)])
def hello(request):
    return {"message": "Hello from Slush"}
```

## How It Works

* The first argument (`5`) is the maximum number of requests allowed
* The second argument (`60`) is the time window in seconds

In the example above, each client can make up to **5 requests per 60 seconds**.

## Limit Exceeded

If the limit is exceeded, Slush returns:

* Status code: `429 Too Many Requests`
* A JSON error response

## Summary

Rate limiting in Slush allows you to:

* Restrict request frequency per client
* Protect endpoints from abuse
* Apply limits easily using middleware


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