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rate-limit-gen skill

This skill generates robust rate limiting configurations from plain English rules to protect APIs across IP, user, and API key scenarios.

npx playbooks add skill openclaw/skills --skill rate-limit-gen

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SKILL.md

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---
name: rate-limit-gen
description: Generate rate limiting configuration. Use when protecting APIs from abuse.
---

# Rate Limit Generator

Rate limiting is essential but the config is fiddly. Describe your limits in plain English and get working configuration.

**One command. Zero config. Just works.**

## Quick Start

```bash
npx ai-rate-limit "100 requests per minute per IP"
```

## What It Does

- Generates rate limit configuration
- Supports IP, user, and API key based limiting
- Includes sliding window and fixed window options
- Works with Express, Fastify, and more

## Usage Examples

```bash
# Basic IP rate limiting
npx ai-rate-limit "100 requests per minute per IP"

# Login protection
npx ai-rate-limit "10 login attempts per hour, block for 30 min"

# API tier limits
npx ai-rate-limit "free tier 100/day, pro 10000/day"
```

## Best Practices

- **Return headers** - let clients know their quota
- **Use sliding windows** - smoother than fixed
- **Have escape hatches** - allow bursts for legitimate use
- **Log rate limit hits** - detect abuse patterns

## When to Use This

- Protecting API from abuse
- Implementing usage tiers
- Preventing brute force attacks
- Adding fair use policies

## Part of the LXGIC Dev Toolkit

This is one of 110+ free developer tools built by LXGIC Studios. No paywalls, no sign-ups, no API keys on free tiers. Just tools that work.

**Find more:**
- GitHub: https://github.com/LXGIC-Studios
- Twitter: https://x.com/lxgicstudios
- Substack: https://lxgicstudios.substack.com
- Website: https://lxgicstudios.com

## Requirements

No install needed. Just run with npx. Node.js 18+ recommended. Needs OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable.

```bash
npx ai-rate-limit --help
```

## How It Works

Takes your plain English rate limit rules and generates configuration for rate limiting middleware. Includes Redis setup for distributed rate limiting when needed.

## License

MIT. Free forever. Use it however you want.

---

**Built by LXGIC Studios**

- GitHub: [github.com/lxgicstudios/rate-limit-gen](https://github.com/lxgicstudios/rate-limit-gen)
- Twitter: [@lxgicstudios](https://x.com/lxgicstudios)

Overview

This skill generates ready-to-use rate limit configuration from plain-English rules to protect APIs from abuse. It produces middleware configs for common frameworks and includes options for sliding and fixed windows, Redis-backed distributed limits, and headers for client feedback. Use it to quickly turn policy language into working rate-limiter code and Redis setup snippets.

How this skill works

Describe rate limits in simple phrases and the tool parses them into configuration for popular Node.js frameworks (Express, Fastify, etc.). It supports IP-, user-, and API-key-based limits, sliding or fixed windows, burst allowances, and optional Redis integration for distributed deployments. The output includes header suggestions, logging hooks, and block durations where specified.

When to use it

Protect public APIs from high-volume abuse
Add tiered usage limits for free/pro plans
Prevent brute-force attempts on login endpoints
Enforce fair-use policies for shared resources
Create distributed limits using Redis for multi-instance services

Best practices

Return rate limit headers so clients can adapt
Prefer sliding windows for smoother behavior
Allow controlled bursts to avoid blocking legitimate spikes
Log limit hits to identify abusive patterns
Use escape hatches for emergency whitelisting

Example use cases

Basic IP limit: "100 requests per minute per IP" -> Express middleware and headers
Login protection: "10 login attempts per hour, block for 30 min" -> account lock and block rules
API tiers: "free tier 100/day, pro 10000/day" -> per-key limits and header reporting
Distributed services: generate Redis-backed counters and setup notes
Migration: convert existing policy wording into consistent middleware configs

FAQ

Do I need to install anything to use it?

You can run it with npx and Node.js 18+. For production or distributed limits, install and configure Redis as indicated in the generated output.

Which frameworks are supported?

It generates configs and code snippets for common Node.js frameworks such as Express and Fastify; the rules are framework-agnostic so you can adapt them to others.

Can it handle complex tiered rules and blocks?

Yes. It parses tiered limits, temporary blocking durations, sliding vs fixed windows, and burst allowances, producing concrete middleware and Redis examples.