Rerequests

Rerequests refer to the act of requesting something again after an initial attempt did not succeed or was not fulfilled. They occur across contexts, including software, data access, and human-driven processes, where a prior request is repeated due to failure, expiration, or new information.

In technical and computing contexts, rerequesting is most commonly seen as retrying a network or API call after a transient error, timeout, or rate limit. Effective retry policies specify how many attempts to make, the interval between attempts, and when to stop. Exponential backoff with jitter is a standard approach to reduce load and avoid synchronized retries. Idempotent operations—those that produce the same result when repeated—help make rerequests safe. Servers may provide guidance through Retry-After responses, and components like circuit breakers can prevent cascading failures when repeated attempts are undesirable.

In user-facing and administrative contexts, rerequests occur when a user or administrator resubmits a form, re-requests access or permissions, or renews an expired authentication, credentials, or consent. Best practices include clearly explaining why the rerequest is needed, providing a reasonable and transparent retry window, and offering options to review or modify the request to reduce unnecessary repetition.

Potential issues associated with rerequests include increased system load, privacy and security concerns, and user fatigue or frustration if repeated prompts are intrusive. Mitigation strategies involve rate limiting, auditing and logging of repeated attempts, and designing processes that explain the purpose of rerequests and minimize unnecessary repetition.

See also: retry logic, backoff, idempotence, rate limiting, Retry-After.