> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.sfox.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.sfox.com/websocket-api/rate-limits.md).
# Rate Limits
Connecting to the WebSocket API
The WebSocket API rate limits requests and connections by IP address.
If you exceed a rate limit, an error is thrown and your requests will be blocked for 2 minutes.
Rate limits for the WebSocket API are as follows:
| Type | Limit |
|---|
| Connections | 10 active connections per IP address. |
| Requests | 40 requests per 1 minute per IP address. Requests are counted, in total, across your active connections. |
## Best Practices
To avoid rate limiting, sFOX recommends following these best practices:
#### 1. Consolidate feeds per [subscribe/unsubscribe request](/websocket-api/subscribing-and-unsubscribing.md)
Subscribe/unsubscribe to multiple WebSocket feeds in a single request rather than sending subscribe requests per WebSocket feed.
// Request -> Subscribe to feeds
{
"type": "subscribe",
"feeds": ["<feed 1>", "<feed 2>", ...] //Subscribe to N feeds in 1 request
}
For example, if you want to subscribe to both the [open orders](/websocket-api/orders-and-account-data/orders.md) and [balances](/websocket-api/orders-and-account-data/balances.md) feeds:
// Request -> Subscribe to open orders and balances feeds
{
"type": "subscribe",
"feeds": ["private.user.open-orders", "private.user.balances"]
}
#### 2. Consolidate WebSocket consumption by [connection](/websocket-api/connecting.md)
Consuming the same data across >1 connection will result in duplicate requests. For example, if you want consume the BTC/USD order book, do so in a single connection.
{% hint style="info" %}
Please note: To ensure optimal performance, sFOX recommends using a separate WebSocket connection for each feed "type" you subscribe to.
For example, consume [market data](/websocket-api/market-data.md) and [orders/account data](/websocket-api/orders-and-account-data.md) in separate connections.
This segregation ensures that time-sensitive updates, such as [balances](/websocket-api/orders-and-account-data/balances.md) or [open-orders](/websocket-api/orders-and-account-data/orders.md) messages, are not impacted by high-frequency feeds like [order books](/websocket-api/market-data/order-book.md).
{% endhint %}
---
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