When an API returns a 429 Too Many Requests response, it typically indicates that the client has sent too many requests in a given amount of time. This is often seen with rate-limited APIs. Adding the Retry-After header to a 429 response provides additional information about when the client can safely make a new request without getting throttled. This helps in clearly communicating to the client how long they should wait before making another request. Without it, clients might continue to hit the endpoint, exacerbating the rate-limiting issue. Clients can programmatically detect the Retry-After header and adjust their request intervals accordingly. This leads to fewer errors and more efficient interactions with the API.
This rule applies at the API Specification level (OAS/Swagger).
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS )Amplification Attacks: Hackers can exploit the absence of a Retry header to amplify (DDoS) attacks through amplification techniques. In the absence of guidance on retry timing, malicious actors can repeatedly bombard vulnerable servers with requests, depleting resources and potentially leading to service degradation or downtime.
