Flask Rate Limiter Project
Project Overview
Built a custom rate limiter using Flask to control API access and prevent abuse. The system tracks and limits user requests based on IP addresses, implementing a rolling time window approach. Technical Implementation
Framework: Flask web framework
Core Logic: Tracks requests using an in-memory data structure (defaultdict) with IP-based tracking Time Management: Uses Python's datetime for rolling window implementation Request Tracking: Maintains timestamps of requests and automatically cleans expired entries
Key Features
Rolling time window (1 minute) for request tracking IP-based request limiting Automatic cleanup of expired request data Real-time request counting
Technical Skills Demonstrated
RESTful API design Resource management Concurrency handling Data structure optimization Clean code practices
Why This Matters Rate limiting is a crucial component in modern web applications for:
Preventing API abuse Managing server resources Ensuring fair usage across users Protecting against DoS attacks
Future Enhancements
Redis integration for distributed systems Custom rate limits per endpoint User authentication integration Response headers for rate limit status
This project demonstrates understanding of web security, API design, and resource management - all critical skills in backend development.