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API Load Shedding Strategies

Protect services under overload

Designing load shedding means defining priority tiers, returning fast 429/503 with Retry-After for low-priority work, degrading optional features, and preserving core paths under overload.

Set Priorities

Tier requests/features; protect core traffic first.

Signal Clearly

Use 429/503 with Retry-After; document client expectations.

Degrade Gracefully

Disable optional features; reduce payloads; shed early under stress.

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