How do the big boys deal with api limits?

Question

We have an app that interacts with Facebook a lot, intensive enough to make us worry about the api limits that we know are there. My question is : How is it that some applications have like millions of users while they proactively engage with facebook and never face the api limits ? One such application is "hootsuite".

• Do they implement sophisticated load-reduction mechanism? (queues, batches and caches comes to mind)
• Does facebook somehow treat them specially? (partnership perhaps?)

Answer 1

Both options are possible.

I would recommend some form of load-reduction mechanism. This could be accomplished with caching data or executing heavy queries ahead of time (possibly in a cron job of sorts).

Facebook provides some good suggestions with regard to application API rate limiting here.

You can also get more information on rate limiting that is being enforced on your application by visiting this dashboard:

https://developers.facebook.com/apps/<app_id>/insights?ref=nav&sk=ae_<app_id>