# Provenance stamped 2026-10-07 (roadmap#943): written by an API Evangelist sweep (dated 2026-06-13 by the file itself), not
# harvested from the provider. `method: generated` so the economics campaign may replace it with a
# dated, verbatim transcription; every figure below is unverified until it does.
method: generated
generated: '2026-06-13'
specification: API Commons Rate Limits
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/RateLimits
provider: Australia Post
providerId: australia-post
created: '2026-06-13'
modified: '2026-06-13'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - Rate Limiting
  - Logistics / Shipping
  - Postal
description: Australia Post rate-limits all API endpoints to maintain fair and consistent
  service across all developers. Limits are applied per credential and can be set
  on any combination of requests per second, minute, hour, or day depending on the
  individual API. Specific numeric thresholds are not published publicly and vary
  per API; exceeding any limit returns HTTP 429. Current consumption is surfaced in
  standard X-RateLimit-* response headers so clients can implement adaptive back-off.
sources:
  - https://auspost.com.au/developers/help-support/about-our-apis/
  - https://auspost.com.au/developers/help-support/
headers:
  limitSecond: X-RateLimit-Limit-second
  limitMinute: X-RateLimit-Limit-minute
  limitHour: X-RateLimit-Limit-hour
  limitDay: X-RateLimit-Limit-day
  remainingHour: X-RateLimit-Remaining-hour
responseCodes:
  throttled: 429
limits:
  - name: Requests per second
    scope: credential
    metric: requests_per_second
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: second
    notes: Limit value varies per API; not publicly disclosed. Check X-RateLimit-Limit-second header.
  - name: Requests per minute
    scope: credential
    metric: requests_per_minute
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: minute
    notes: Limit value varies per API; not publicly disclosed. Check X-RateLimit-Limit-minute header.
  - name: Requests per hour
    scope: credential
    metric: requests_per_hour
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: hour
    notes: Limit value varies per API; not publicly disclosed. Check X-RateLimit-Limit-hour header.
  - name: Requests per day
    scope: credential
    metric: requests_per_day
    limit: -1
    timeFrame: day
    notes: Limit value varies per API; not publicly disclosed. Check X-RateLimit-Limit-day header.
policies:
  - name: Per-credential throttling
    description: Rate limits are applied to the credentials (API key or OAuth token) used
      to make requests, not the developer account as a whole. Each app and its credentials
      have independent quotas.
  - name: HTTP 429 on breach
    description: When any rate limit is exceeded all subsequent requests using that credential
      return HTTP 429 Too Many Requests until the limit window resets.
  - name: Adaptive back-off recommended
    description: Clients should monitor X-RateLimit-Remaining-* headers and implement
      exponential back-off when approaching or hitting limits.
  - name: Per-API limits
    description: Each Australia Post API (PAC, Locations, Shipping and Tracking, Delivery
      Choices, Delivery Partner) may have different rate limit windows and thresholds.
      Consult the individual API documentation for the applicable limits.
  - name: Contact for quota increases
    description: If existing limits are insufficient for production workloads, contact
      Australia Post via customer_connectivity@auspost.com.au or speak with your account
      manager to request higher quotas.