# Limitations on cloud requests?

**URL:** <https://community.particle.io/t/limitations-on-cloud-requests/7878>\
**Category:** Cloud\
**Created:** [November 5, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/limitations-on-cloud-requests/7878 "2014-11-05T02:17:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mumblepins](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/mumblepins/32/3857_2.png) [@mumblepins](https://community.particle.io/u/mumblepins)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/limitations-on-cloud-requests/7878/1 "2014-11-05T02:17:37Z")

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Back in December, [there](https://community.spark.io/t/api-limits-for-spark-cloud/626/2) were a [couple](https://community.spark.io/t/what-are-the-limitations-when-sending-commands/1062) of posts about API cloud rate limits. Have any of these been implemented yet, and if so, what are they? If not, what’s a “polite” rate limit to keep myself to? I would prefer not to break anything or annoy anyone 🙂

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**Author:** ![bko](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/bko/32/20704_2.png) [@bko](https://community.particle.io/u/bko)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 3:10am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/limitations-on-cloud-requests/7878/2 "2014-11-05T03:10:07Z")

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Hi @mumblepins

The limit for Spark.publish() is one per second average with a burst of up to four allowed. I don’t think there is a limit for functions and variables but my experience is that you can’t really call them faster than about once per second without missing something.

See my servo tutorial for an example:

> **[Tutorial: Spark Variable and Function on One Web Page](https://community.particle.io/t/tutorial-spark-variable-and-function-on-one-web-page/4181)**
>
> Let’s say you have a Spark core with both a Spark variable and a Spark function. In my case, I have the world’s simplest servo control sketch, using the nice miniature servo in the Spark Maker Kit. Using these parts, we will build a servo that you...

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**Author:** ![Moors7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/moors7/32/588_2.png) [@Moors7](https://community.particle.io/u/Moors7)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 11:17am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/limitations-on-cloud-requests/7878/3 "2014-11-05T11:17:03Z")

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If you’d like to bypass these ‘restrictions’, you could consider running a local cloud. You’ve then got full control, and can set you limits as desired. Also, it’s a lot faster, so the rates can probably go up even more.  
If you do a forum search on “local cloud” you’ll be sure to find a couple of topics.

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**Author:** ![Dave](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/dave/32/181_2.png) [@Dave](https://community.particle.io/u/Dave)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2014, 2:57pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/limitations-on-cloud-requests/7878/4 "2014-11-05T14:57:13Z")

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Heya @mumblepins,

Thanks for asking, thats a great question!

In general, we want to make sure there will always be enough resources for everybody, so if you wanted to find a happy medium I would say try to only use what you need. 🙂 In general, we try to only set protections when we need to protect the community or the cloud. That’s why we haven’t limited the function / variable calls yet.

This is also a question that comes up when building smart devices for commercial use as well, and we’re working on a system to help creators optimize and understand usage. As much bandwidth as one device uses, it gets a lot bigger when you make a few thousand more… 🙂

I hope that helps!

Thanks,  
David