Are you getting a 429 error on your website? Really! We’ve got you covered, so don’t be discouraged! Read on to find out what it is and how you can fix it.
Many client-side errors can appear on your site and in return can frustrate your visitors. There is the infamous 404 error which means the page you are trying to access cannot be found on the server. Or, a 405 error indicating that the server rejected the specific HTTP method being used by the web browser.
Another error that may appear on your site and cause consumer dissatisfaction is the 429 error.
The good news is that you know what the most common causes of errors are. The bad news is that there is more than one potential culprit. So we have to try a few different things before fixing it.
WHAT DOES A 429 TOO MANY REQUESTS ERROR MEAN?
Error 429 (429 Too Many Requests Error) is a client error indicating that the user has sent too many requests in a given amount of time.
That is, the server is saying: Stop sending requests.
WHAT CAUSES A 429 ERROR?
In some cases, if the server detects that the user continues to try to access the page for a short period of time, it is a warning of suspicious behavior. In return, it can trigger the speed limit function and display a 429 error.
Rate limiting is often used to manage traffic to and from the network.
Let’s say you are using the API of a specific service that is configured to allow 100 requests per minute. An error appears when the number of requests exceeds 100 per minute.
The way to implement rate limiting is to improve data flow, block attacks like DDoS, and increase security by preventing website crashes.
In addition to speed limiting, another cause of 429 errors can be a bad plugin or bad theme.
HOW CAN THE 429 ERROR APPEAR?
There are several ways you can view the 429 error. Here are some variations that may appear in different browsers or websites.
- 429 Too Many Requests
- 429 Error
- HTTP 429
- Error 429 (Too Many Requests)
Slightly different, but all mean the same thing. Users or snippets of code overwhelm the server with too many requests.
In addition to the error, you can also view additional details explaining the reason for the 429 status code and how long to wait before trying to log in again.
HOW DO I FIX A 429 ERROR?
In some cases, wait a while and the error will go away on its own. In other cases where the error is due to a DDoS attack or a plug-in issue, you must take proactive steps to fix the issue.
DISABLE YOUR PLUGINS
Sometimes the wrong plugin can be the cause of the 429 error. The plugins most notorious for causing errors are:
- Security plugins.
- Solutions that force your website to load over HTTPS.
These plugins can send an overwhelming amount of requests to the server and exceed the rate limit, causing a 429 error.
The quickest way to determine if a plugin is causing the problem is to disable all active plugins on your site.
These plugins can send an overwhelming amount of requests to the server and exceed the rate limit, causing a 429 error.
The quickest way to determine if a plugin is causing the problem is to disable all active plugins on your site.
If the error goes away, it means that the 429 error is caused by a plugin. As a future tip, use as few plugins as possible. Install only what’s important for your site to function properly and delete the rest.
If the error persists, you may need to try another method.
SWITCH TO A DEFAULT THEME
If the plugin doesn’t cause the error, there may be a problem with the active theme. The only way to determine if there is a problem with the theme is to manually disable it and switch to one of the default themes provided by the CMS.
If the theme is causing the 429 error, it should disappear when disabled.
Now that we’ve fixed the issue, it’s better to choose a theme that doesn’t have built-in features. You can also contact the theme designer to report the problem and ask for help in resolving the error.
CONTACT YOUR HOSTING PROVIDER
If you’ve tried to disable the plugin and your current theme, but you can’t fix the error 429, it may be time to contact your hosting provider.
Sometimes the cause of the error is the server and not the website.
If there is a problem with the server, it will help without you taking any action.
Your hosting provider may be speed limiting. Your host may be blocking requests from certain third-party services or platforms that are making too many requests to your website, including bots, crawlers, search engines, or apps like Google Search Console.
For example, many bots can negatively affect your site, especially if you don’t follow robots.txt. Other crawlers like Google are important. For hosts, make sure you are properly restricting your bots and crawlers.
Even if the host doesn’t block third-party services, you can determine what might be causing the error.