Protect API Free Tier

Keep your API free tier for real developers

Free API keys attract good developers and automated abuse. VerifyWall helps you identify risky signups before keys are created.

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The problem

API free tiers are easy to monetize for abusers: create many accounts, collect keys, rotate traffic, and consume quota without paying. The abuse often starts with scripted signups using disposable emails and cloud infrastructure.

The cost to your business

Free-tier abuse burns infrastructure, increases third-party API costs, and can degrade service quality for legitimate developers. It also makes usage analytics misleading because request volume no longer maps to real prospects.

How VerifyWall solves it

VerifyWall can run before API key issuance. Low-risk users receive keys immediately. Medium-risk users can verify email or add billing details. High-risk users can be blocked from creating keys until reviewed.

Detection signals that apply

Datacenter IP

Scripted signup and key harvesting commonly runs from cloud servers

Disposable Email

Used to create many free accounts without durable ownership

VPN / Tor

Masks account creation patterns and bypasses IP-based throttles

Bad ASN

Flags networks with a higher concentration of abusive automation

Integration example

Add VerifyWall to your protect api free tier workflow with a single API call:

$risk = Http::withToken($apiKey)
    ->get('https://verifywall.com/api/v1/check', [
        'q' => $request->email,
    ])
    ->json('data.attributes');

if ($risk['risk_level'] === 'high') {
    return redirect()->route('billing.plans.index');
}

$token = $user->createToken('Default API key');

Frequently asked questions

Should API keys be created before or after risk checks?

For free tiers, check risk before creating the key. That avoids issuing credentials to users you already know require more verification.

Can I still allow high-risk users to pay?

Yes. A practical pattern is to block free API keys for high-risk signups while allowing them to continue with a paid plan or manual review.

Does this replace rate limiting?

No. VerifyWall protects the signup and key issuance layer. You should still rate limit API usage after a key is created.