name: USAID API Rate Limits
description: >-
  Rate limits for USAID's public APIs vary by service. The ForeignAssistance.gov
  Data API does not publish explicit rate limits but follows standard U.S.
  government open-data fair-use conventions. The Development Data Library uses
  the Socrata Open Data API (SODA) platform, which enforces documented rate
  limits based on whether an application token is provided.
limits:
  - api: ForeignAssistance.gov Data API
    description: >-
      No officially published rate limits. Standard fair-use policies apply.
      Bulk data is available for download at foreignassistance.gov/data to
      avoid repeated API calls for large datasets.
    authenticated: false
    requestsPerHour: null
    notes: Contact foreignassistance.gov for high-volume access needs.
  - api: USAID Development Data Library (SODA / data.usaid.gov)
    description: >-
      Powered by Socrata SODA. Without an application token, requests are
      throttled per source IP address. Registering a free application token
      raises the rate limit to 1,000 requests per hour.
    authenticated: false
    requestsPerHour: 100
    throttleBy: IP address
    notes: >-
      Unauthenticated throttle is approximate; Socrata may vary limits by
      dataset or IP activity pattern.
  - api: USAID Development Data Library (SODA / data.usaid.gov) - Token Auth
    description: >-
      With a registered application token (free), the SODA rate limit is
      raised to 1,000 requests per hour per token.
    authenticated: true
    authMethod: Application Token (header or query param)
    requestsPerHour: 1000
    notes: >-
      Register for a free application token at https://dev.socrata.com/register.
  - api: USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC) API
    description: >-
      No officially published rate limits. The DEC API has experienced
      intermittent availability. Contact USAID for programmatic bulk access.
    authenticated: false
    requestsPerHour: null
    notes: >-
      DEC API availability has been impacted by broader USAID infrastructure
      changes since early 2025. Check dec.usaid.gov for current status.