How to implement an api rate limiter in node js

To implement an api, there are several ways to do that but we will make use of a third-party middlware built for express framework of node js.

Important Notes:

1. Its assumed node js and express installed on your machine/server
2. Its assumed we are working on an application which we have built an api that simulates or performs user authentication,if you dont have kindly look for a boiler plate of node js api authentications or download this one with link https://github.com/voxboy2/mkobo_rate_limiter:
3. Run npm i on your terminal
4. Its assumed you have knowledge of mongodb database and implementing it with node js.

Lets Goooooooo:

• Install the third party middleware called express-rate-limit like this "npm i express-rate-limit --save"

• Install mongoose and create an account with mongodb atlas

• connect your application to mongodb atlas

• In our case we have a file called index.js located at the root folder ,so we add this line of code

"const rateLimit = require("express-rate-limit");" at the top of the index .js

• post the following code in your index.js file:

  windowMs: 60 * 1000, 

  max: 5,

  message: "Too many accounts created from this IP, please try"

});

 windowsms:for time which in our case is 60 mins(1 hour)

 max: stands for the maximum limit a user can access a certain page

 message: stands for the message we send to the user.

• we then go to our routes middleware still in the same index.js and add the limiter to the routes in our case we have two routes:
  1. one for user authentication:

app.use('/api/user', authRoute)

1. another one for the page the user tries to access when he is authenticated which is this:

app.use('/api/posts', limiter, postRoute)

• Download postman or insomnia on your system

• go to the route, http://localhost:3000/api/user/register, and register as a user by adding your name,email,password in this format

 {
             "name":EFE EBIEROMA
             "email":efewebdev@gmail.com
             "password":pass11
}

you will receive a message and a token after registering.

• put the token in the header in this manner "auth-token your token"

• navigate to http://localhost:3000/api/posts send the get request 5 times clicking send button 5 times after the fifth time you get a message.

Be glad you have successfully implemented a rate limiter in your node js app.