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: EDI 214 (Transportation Carrier Shipment Status)
providerId: edi-214
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: false
tags:
  - Rate Limiting
  - EDI
  - X12
  - Logistics
description: EDI 214 is a standard, not a single API; rate limits depend on the vendor moving the document
  (VAN, EDI-as-a-Service platform, carrier portal). Stedi, Flexport, and SPS Commerce each enforce their
  own throttles on REST endpoints used to submit and retrieve 214 documents.
notes: No rate limit applies to the standard itself; consult the specific vendor's API rate-limit documentation.
sources:
  - https://www.stedi.com/
  - https://developers.flexport.com/edi/
  - https://www.spscommerce.com/
responseCodes:
  throttled: 429
  serviceUnavailable: 503
limits:
  - name: Stedi REST API
    scope: tenant
    metric: varies
    limit: see Stedi developer docs
  - name: Flexport API
    scope: tenant
    metric: varies
    limit: see Flexport API rate limits
  - name: SPS Commerce VAN
    scope: contract
    metric: varies
    limit: see SPS partner integration guide
policies:
  - name: Vendor-specific throttling
    description: Each EDI 214 implementer enforces its own throttle; consult the vendor's developer documentation.
  - name: Backoff
    description: Implement exponential backoff with jitter; honor Retry-After when present.
  - name: VAN store-and-forward
    description: VAN-based delivery is asynchronous; treat 214 transmission as eventual rather than synchronous.
maintainers:
  - name: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com