what is rate limiting?
a server rule that caps how many requests a client may make in a time window, then answers with 429 or a block once you cross it.
limits are keyed on something: source ip, account, api key, session cookie, or a fingerprint. common shapes are a fixed window (100 per minute), a sliding window, and a token bucket that refills steadily and tolerates short bursts. crossing one normally returns 429 with a retry-after header, but defended sites also degrade quietly instead: slower responses, stale or partial data, an address blacklisted for hours with no explanation. there are two ways to stay inside a limit. slow down, or spread across more keys. proxies address the second, since a rotating pool splits your volume over many source addresses. that only helps when the limit is keyed on ip. if it is keyed on your logged in account, more addresses change nothing and make the account look stranger. pace per exit regardless, because a burst is exactly what damages an address's reputation.