New API Rate Limiter

Summary

Zoom announced an updated V2 REST API Rate Limiter launching in March 2020 to replace its previous one-size-fits-all throttling system. Rather than applying uniform constraints across all subscription tiers, the new framework cross-references customer Account Types against API Request Groups categorized by infrastructure importance and load intensity. While most API rate limits are increasing, resource-intensive Dashboard APIs are reduced from 1 request per second to 6 or 12 requests per minute depending on account level. Throttled HTTP 429 responses will return X-RateLimit-Reset timestamps for per-minute limits and ISO8601 Retry-After timestamps for per-day limits. Additionally, the system introduces lock-key restrictions on specific user identifier path variables to restrict concurrency and enforce daily meeting creation caps.

Context

Zoom's existing V2 REST API applied uniform rate limits across all subscription tiers, including Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans. These limits failed to scale alongside customer organization growth and increasing API request volumes.

Approach / What changed

Zoom redesigned the V2 API Rate Limiter to calculate limits by cross-referencing customer Account Types with API Request Groups based on operational load intensity. The system updates HTTP 429 response headers with precise reset timers and adds lock-key path restrictions to control concurrent operations.

Takeaways

• The new rate limits cross-reference two logical Zoom plan Account Types with API Request Groups structured by load intensity and infrastructure impact.
• Throttled responses supply X-RateLimit-Reset epoch seconds for per-minute quotas and ISO8601 Retry-After timestamps for per-day quotas when X-RateLimit-Remaining reaches zero.
• Lock-key rules enforce specific route restrictions, such as capping daily meeting creations or updates at 100 per user and blocking concurrent mutations on user endpoints.

Related reading

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  Zoom announced several updates to its App Marketplace alongside roadmap deadlines scheduled for early 2020. Marketplace enhancements include functional app categories, additional URL fields for Terms of Use and documentation, and support for defining multiple webhook event subscriptions within a single application. Administrators and developers gained webhook logs, enhanced pre-approval permission settings, and the ability to test draft applications directly in the installed apps interface for Data Compliance API compliance. To accommodate surging traffic, Zoom introduced revamped V2 REST API rate limits and breaking behavioral changes to the List Users API. Crucially, the platform set an absolute end-of-life date of April 26, 2020, for all legacy V1 APIs, requiring immediate migration to V2 endpoints.

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• Zoom · Apr 3, 2020

  Backwards Incompatible V2 API Changes