Using Melissa Cloud APIs#

Melissa Cloud API Services provide fast to market, low maintenance solutions for users and companies of all sizes. Using industry standard protocols with state of the art technologies behind the scenes, Melissa is able to provide easy to use but flexible and scalable solutions for applications from real time website inputs to enterprise volume cleansing.

When using Melissa Cloud API services, there are a few universal topics all new users should read and understand. Please review all the items under this section, but especially important are the topics below:

Licensing#

The first step is to ensure you have access. This is done through licensing. All Melissa cloud services require a license to use. This can be done through a subscription with a customer service representative or by using self-service credits. Both of these methods provide access to the same service, so your code will not change if you change from one licensing method to another.

Rate Limiting#

To ensure service stability we prevent any one user from flooding the service with requests. Depending on your license type, we will limit the number of requests per second that our services will accept. If you cross that threshold, your application will receive a HTTP 429 error. Simply wait a second and try again.

The throughput limit that you are allowed is determined by your license and the type of account you have with Melissa.

IP Address Info#

We use multiple data centers from across the world to host our services. If you are using a firewall, you may need the IP Addresses that Melissa is currently using.

Basics for Using our Services#

Melissa Cloud API web services follow a general template. Especially for new users, it is very important to review how to access and use our services. Please take a look at these key concepts to assist in the implementation and usage of our Cloud API offering.