HTTP 406 Not Acceptable vs 429 Too Many Requests
Both HTTP 406 (Not Acceptable) and 429 (Too Many Requests) belong to the 4xx Client Error category. 406 indicates that the server cannot produce a response matching the Accept headers sent by the client. Meanwhile, 429 means that the user has sent too many requests in a given time (rate limiting). The response should include a Retry-After header.
Description
The server cannot produce a response matching the Accept headers sent by the client.
When You See It
When requesting a content type the server doesn't support (e.g., Accept: application/xml when only JSON is available).
How to Fix
Adjust the Accept header to a format the server supports.
Description
The user has sent too many requests in a given time (rate limiting). The response should include a Retry-After header.
When You See It
When hitting API rate limits or making too many requests too quickly.
How to Fix
Check the Retry-After header. Implement exponential backoff. Consider caching responses.
Key Differences
HTTP 406: The server cannot produce a response matching the Accept headers sent by the client.
HTTP 429: The user has sent too many requests in a given time (rate limiting). The response should include a Retry-After header.
You encounter 406 when when requesting a content type the server doesn't support (e.g., Accept: application/xml when only JSON is available).
You encounter 429 when when hitting API rate limits or making too many requests too quickly.
When to Use Which
For 406 (Not Acceptable): Adjust the Accept header to a format the server supports. For 429 (Too Many Requests): Check the Retry-After header. Implement exponential backoff. Consider caching responses.