# Multi-region rate limiting with MultiRegionRatelimit
## When you need it
Your API runs in several regions and a per-region limit is not
acceptable: an attacker could spend the full quota in every region.
MultiRegionRatelimit syncs state across your regional databases so
the limit is global.
## Setup
import { MultiRegionRatelimit } from "@upstash/ratelimit";
import { Redis } from "@upstash/redis";
const ratelimit = new MultiRegionRatelimit({
redis: [
Redis.fromEnv(), // region 1 credentials
// one client per regional database
],
limiter: MultiRegionRatelimit.fixedWindow(10, "10 s"),
});
Use fixed window here. Sliding window multiplies command counts to
painful levels in multi-region, and token bucket is not supported
at all.
## The sync requirement
Cross-region sync happens in the background after limit() returns.
On serverless you must keep it alive:
const { success, pending } = await ratelimit.limit(id);
context.waitUntil(pending);
Without this, regions diverge and each enforces a local fiction of
the global limit.
## Cost math
Budget (1 + read region count) times write commands plus read
commands, per the docs. Two regions roughly doubles the
per-request command cost versus single-region.
## Alternative
One Global Upstash Redis database as the backend for a regular
Ratelimit gives you global state with server-side replication and
any algorithm, including token bucket. Compare the operational
simplicity before running N databases yourself.
## Verify
Spend quota from region A, then check getRemaining from region B:
it should reflect the spend. Burst-test across regions and confirm
the global verdict.