What is a 429 error?

A 429 error, also known as Too Many Requests error, is an HTTP status code that is returned by a server to indicate that the user has sent too many requests in a given time frame and has exceeded the rate limits imposed by the server or an associated service. It is part of an abuse rule to protect against both brute force attackers and vulnerability scanners. It will only trigger when a single IP address has sent 'bad requests'. Requests such as 404 or 403 responses are identified as ‘bad requests’, 200 OK responses would not trigger the rule.

The purpose of the 429 error is to prevent abuse or overloading of a server or service by limiting the number of requests a single user or client can make within a specific time period. This is commonly used in APIs and web services to ensure fair usage and to protect the server from being overwhelmed by excessive traffic.

When you encounter a 429 error, you may need to wait until the rate-limiting period has passed or reduce the frequency of your requests to comply with the rate limits set by the server or service.

The root cause of the ‘bad requests’ can vary – However, one of the biggest causes are scripts in the background that are failing to load, these are normally in the 4xx range e.g. 403 and 404's, when you're making updates can you open console and check if anything is failing to load in. If you visit the site via a different connectin (i.e. mobile data), then it should work fine.

If you are experiencing a 429 error and need further assitance then please feel free to reach out to our support team for further assistance. Our team will need to know the steps to replicate the 429 error as well as the IP address of the device you're connecting from (https://ipinfo.io/ip).