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I am trying to download streets from the Overpass API using a very simple Python script. This always worked just fine for me, until this morning when I started experiencing strange behavior.

import requests
url = 'http://www.overpass-api.de/api/interpreter'
timeout = 60
data = '[out:json][timeout:60];(way["highway"]["area"!~"yes"]["highway"!~"cycleway|footway|path|pedestrian|steps|track|proposed|construction|bridleway|abandoned|platform|raceway|service"]["motor_vehicle"!~"no"]["motorcar"!~"no"]["access"!~"private"]["service"!~"parking|parking_aisle|driveway|private|emergency_access"](poly:"37.87539 -122.28873 37.87539 -122.26599 37.85736 -122.26599 37.85736 -122.28873 37.87539 -122.28873");>;);out;'

When I post this request:

response = requests.post(url, data=data, timeout=timeout)

I receive status code 200 and the response data that I expect.

However, when I use a more complex polygon:

url = 'http://www.overpass-api.de/api/interpreter'
timeout = 60
data = '[out:json][timeout:60];(way["highway"]["area"!~"yes"]["highway"!~"cycleway|footway|path|pedestrian|steps|track|proposed|construction|bridleway|abandoned|platform|raceway|service"]["motor_vehicle"!~"no"]["motorcar"!~"no"]["access"!~"private"]["service"!~"parking|parking_aisle|driveway|private|emergency_access"](poly:"37.82311 -122.25501 37.8232 -122.25503 37.82365 -122.25505 37.8241 -122.25503 37.82455 -122.25494 37.82499 -122.2548 37.82542 -122.2546 37.82582 -122.25435 37.82621 -122.25405 37.82657 -122.2537 37.8268 -122.25345 37.82692 -122.25333 37.82718 -122.25324 37.82738 -122.25318 37.8278 -122.25301 37.82821 -122.25279 37.8286 -122.25252 37.82896 -122.25221 37.8293 -122.25185 37.82961 -122.25145 37.82989 -122.25101 37.83014 -122.25057 37.8308 -122.24943 37.83084 -122.24941 37.8312 -122.24913 37.83129 -122.24905 37.83212 -122.24841 37.83239 -122.2482 37.83241 -122.24819 37.83245 -122.24816 37.8328 -122.24785 37.83313 -122.2475 37.83344 -122.24712 37.83371 -122.2467 37.83395 -122.24625 37.83415 -122.24577 37.83432 -122.24527 37.83445 -122.24475 37.83454 -122.24422 37.83458 -122.24369 37.83459 -122.24337 37.83468 -122.24304 37.83473 -122.24283 37.83476 -122.24268 37.83489 -122.24197 37.83491 -122.24182 37.83495 -122.24131 37.83496 -122.24115 37.83497 -122.24086 37.83498 -122.23985 37.83499 -122.23974 37.83501 -122.23956 37.83504 -122.23929 37.83506 -122.23923 37.83519 -122.23872 37.83528 -122.23821 37.83531 -122.23784 37.83535 -122.23772 37.83545 -122.23723 37.83548 -122.23703 37.83552 -122.2368 37.83555 -122.2366 37.83569 -122.23587 37.83574 -122.23562 37.83574 -122.23561 37.83597 -122.23434 37.83604 -122.23397 37.83645 -122.23263 37.83656 -122.23228 37.83684 -122.23138 37.83722 -122.23015 37.83736 -122.22962 37.83746 -122.22908 37.83752 -122.22853 37.83753 -122.22797 37.8375 -122.22742 37.83743 -122.22687 37.83731 -122.22633 37.83716 -122.22581 37.83696 -122.22531 37.83673 -122.22484 37.83646 -122.2244 37.83632 -122.22419 37.83591 -122.22358 37.8359 -122.22357 37.83586 -122.22351 37.83566 -122.22308 37.8356 -122.22298 37.83559 -122.22297 37.83558 -122.22295 37.83543 -122.22268 37.83543 -122.22268 37.83538 -122.22259 37.83537 -122.22257 37.83532 -122.22248 37.8353 -122.22243 37.83506 -122.22199 37.83505 -122.22198 37.83497 -122.22183 37.83472 -122.2214 37.83443 -122.221 37.83411 -122.22064 37.83377 -122.22032 37.8334 -122.22004 37.83301 -122.2198 37.83281 -122.21969 37.83227 -122.2194 37.83198 -122.21918 37.83161 -122.21891 37.83065 -122.21809 37.83065 -122.21809 37.83059 -122.21804 37.83052 -122.21798 37.8305 -122.21796 37.83041 -122.21789 37.83014 -122.21766 37.82981 -122.2174 37.82973 -122.21734 37.82963 -122.21728 37.8295 -122.21718 37.82943 -122.21713 37.82899 -122.21686 37.8287 -122.21671 37.82866 -122.21669 37.82838 -122.21654 37.82752 -122.21545 37.82743 -122.21535 37.8272 -122.21505 37.82719 -122.21504 37.82703 -122.21467 37.82687 -122.21431 37.8268 -122.21415 37.82674 -122.21404 37.82671 -122.21396 37.82664 -122.21379 37.82642 -122.21327 37.82615 -122.21279 37.82584 -122.21235 37.82575 -122.21223 37.82539 -122.21181 37.82501 -122.21145 37.825 -122.21145 37.82489 -122.21124 37.82476 -122.21101 37.8245 -122.21058 37.82373 -122.2093 37.82353 -122.20897 37.82349 -122.20889 37.82322 -122.20839 37.82315 -122.20826 37.82303 -122.20805 37.82262 -122.20727 37.82248 -122.20701 37.82223 -122.20657 37.82194 -122.20616 37.82162 -122.20579 37.82127 -122.20546 37.8209 -122.20517 37.82052 -122.20493 37.82011 -122.20474 37.81969 -122.2046 37.81926 -122.20451 37.81883 -122.20447 37.8184 -122.20448 37.81797 -122.20455 37.81755 -122.20467 37.81714 -122.20483 37.81674 -122.20505 37.81636 -122.20532 37.816 -122.20562 37.81567 -122.20598 37.81537 -122.20636 37.81496 -122.20694 37.81493 -122.20698 37.81467 -122.20735 37.81448 -122.20738 37.81434 -122.20741 37.81418 -122.20745 37.81403 -122.20748 37.81363 -122.20761 37.8135 -122.20766 37.81292 -122.20793 37.81291 -122.20793 37.81283 -122.20798 37.81269 -122.20807 37.81213 -122.20847 37.81198 -122.2086 37.81197 -122.2086 37.81158 -122.20882 37.81148 -122.20888 37.81124 -122.20904 37.81121 -122.20906 37.81119 -122.20908 37.81116 -122.2091 37.81114 -122.20912 37.81078 -122.20941 37.81073 -122.20945 37.81034 -122.20984 37.81021 -122.20999 37.81003 -122.2102 37.80994 -122.21031 37.80993 -122.21033 37.8096 -122.21061 37.80926 -122.21095 37.80895 -122.21134 37.80868 -122.21176 37.80843 -122.21221 37.80822 -122.21269 37.80805 -122.21319 37.80792 -122.21371 37.80783 -122.21424 37.80778 -122.21478 37.80777 -122.21533 37.8078 -122.21587 37.80788 -122.21641 37.80799 -122.21694 37.80815 -122.21745 37.80824 -122.21772 37.80841 -122.21822 37.8085 -122.21843 37.8085 -122.21843 37.80854 -122.21866 37.80855 -122.21873 37.80856 -122.2188 37.80859 -122.21897 37.80865 -122.21924 37.80874 -122.21966 37.80878 -122.21985 37.80908 -122.22122 37.80919 -122.2217 37.80926 -122.22199 37.80932 -122.22219 37.80932 -122.22221 37.80944 -122.22263 37.80955 -122.22334 37.80957 -122.22347 37.80958 -122.22351 37.80962 -122.22376 37.8097 -122.22421 37.80977 -122.22449 37.80996 -122.22531 37.80996 -122.22533 37.81002 -122.2256 37.81011 -122.22594 37.81018 -122.22618 37.81018 -122.22619 37.8104 -122.22693 37.81041 -122.22698 37.81052 -122.22747 37.81052 -122.22747 37.81098 -122.22949 37.8111 -122.23004 37.81114 -122.23025 37.81119 -122.23046 37.81126 -122.23079 37.81169 -122.23291 37.81169 -122.23292 37.81184 -122.23365 37.81203 -122.23437 37.8121 -122.23458 37.8121 -122.23461 37.81231 -122.23523 37.81233 -122.23531 37.81236 -122.23542 37.81251 -122.23596 37.81257 -122.23616 37.81262 -122.23634 37.81267 -122.2365 37.81269 -122.23659 37.8127 -122.23661 37.81277 -122.23685 37.81287 -122.23741 37.81292 -122.23796 37.81292 -122.23798 37.81294 -122.23821 37.81301 -122.23874 37.81311 -122.23927 37.8132 -122.23961 37.81345 -122.24064 37.81345 -122.24066 37.8135 -122.24084 37.81352 -122.24093 37.81367 -122.24171 37.81372 -122.24197 37.81377 -122.24219 37.81386 -122.24258 37.81413 -122.24377 37.81413 -122.24379 37.81423 -122.24418 37.81428 -122.2444 37.81432 -122.24455 37.81444 -122.245 37.81445 -122.24504 37.81449 -122.24519 37.81458 -122.2455 37.81463 -122.24566 37.81464 -122.24568 37.8148 -122.24618 37.81486 -122.24635 37.81501 -122.24677 37.81519 -122.24717 37.81523 -122.24726 37.81535 -122.24751 37.81541 -122.24763 37.81579 -122.2483 37.8159 -122.24847 37.81593 -122.2485 37.81606 -122.24881 37.81637 -122.24933 37.81641 -122.24939 37.81664 -122.24971 37.81667 -122.24975 37.81667 -122.24975 37.81672 -122.24981 37.81698 -122.25012 37.81711 -122.25027 37.81734 -122.25051 37.81748 -122.25064 37.81803 -122.25109 37.81811 -122.25115 37.81839 -122.25147 37.8184 -122.25148 37.81867 -122.25185 37.8196 -122.25315 37.8199 -122.25353 37.82023 -122.25388 37.82059 -122.25419 37.82097 -122.25445 37.82137 -122.25466 37.82178 -122.25483 37.8222 -122.25494 37.82263 -122.255 37.82306 -122.25501 37.82311 -122.25501");>;);out;'

When I post this request:

response = requests.post(url, data=data, timeout=timeout)

This latter request used to work every single time (up to two days ago when I last tried it), but as of this morning I receive status code 429 (too many requests) every time I run it. I have tried this latter request from multiple computers and IP addresses, and I always get 429. While this response says "too many requests", I can immediately run the first request again and get status code 200 back. So it seems like I have indeed not actually made too many requests. Moreover, the API status page tells me I have 2 slots available at all times throughout this process. I have also tried increasing/decreasing my timeouts but there is no change (in fact, the server responds with the 200 or the 429 within a second or two each time).

Why am I suddenly receiving 429 for this query that always worked in the past?

Edit: Every similarly complex polygon I try also returns a 429. Every simple polygon I try returns a 200. In the past, every polygon (simple or complex) returned a 200 with no problem.

asked 24 Apr '17, 18:08

gboeing's gravatar image

gboeing
1366613
accept rate: 0%

edited 24 Apr '17, 18:16


Short answer: Please set a Referer or change the User Agent to a less generic one. In Python, https://docs.python.org/3.5/library/urllib.request.html#urllib.request.Request and there origin_req_host.

I'm sorry for the disruption.

Long answer: During the last week I have seen a massive overuse by a single user who has sent his/her requests from multiple IP addresses, but without useful information to figure out whom to contact. User agent is "Python-urllib/2.7", referer is null. Usually, I would prefer to block only single IP addresses, but this would end up blocking completely a large Czech carrier and a Czech university.

To keep damage to everybody else as low as possible, I have instead temporarily blocked requests that

  • use POST
  • set no referer
  • have a request text that is longer than 2048 byte

You have been hit accidentially by that block.

As the best solution in such cases is to contact the affected user to find a long term solution, my suggestion is to set a referer which will get your requests distinct from the problematic ones.

permanent link

answered 25 Apr '17, 04:24

Roland%20Olbricht's gravatar image

Roland Olbricht
6.7k36489
accept rate: 36%

I fear I have been running into the same issue. How can I set a new referrer in an AJAX call done by a Leaflet plugin https://github.com/GuillaumeAmat/leaflet-overpass-layer ?

permanent link

answered 30 Nov '20, 15:50

underscore's gravatar image

underscore
1
accept rate: 0%

It's unlikely that peoople will see your question, because you'e placed it as an "answer" under the original question. I'd suggest asking it as a new question, but also linking to this question to make it clear what and why you are asking.

(30 Nov '20, 16:30) SomeoneElse ♦
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question asked: 24 Apr '17, 18:08

question was seen: 7,496 times

last updated: 30 Nov '20, 16:30

NOTICE: help.openstreetmap.org is no longer in use from 1st March 2024. Please use the OpenStreetMap Community Forum