Polite AJAX request rate?

Question

I am writing a script that makes an AJAX request at regular intervals. The request loads the remote page and draws some numbers from it. The page is publicly available, so the script runs the equivalent of updating the page every few minutes.

It is possible (though unlikely) that this script will be used by hundreds (perhaps thousands) of users if I release it.

Is there a rule or generally accepted polite request frequency that I must adhere to?

Answer 1

For an RRS reader, a minute is good as an update interval. For chat (with very few users) I used 5 seconds. It depends on the use of the script.

Answer 2

You should always cache the page on your own server, if possible.

In general, avoid loading deleted pages unless you need to. The cost of resources is high both at yours and at your end.

A polite frequency for things like search bots is one request per second. Of course, if it's a service like google, they may be more frequent, but keep them as low as possible.