# Best Practices and Common Mistakes
URL: https://sockodds.com/docs/info/best-practices/

# Best Practices and Common Mistakes [#best-practices-and-common-mistakes]

Recommended patterns and mistakes to avoid when working with the SockOdds API.

## Patterns to follow [#patterns-to-follow]

### Set up a server-side process to sync data from the API into your database [#set-up-a-server-side-process-to-sync-data-from-the-api-into-your-database]

- The most secure and scalable way to ingest API data — a cron job every 2–5 minutes handles it.
- You control how up-to-date your data is, and 10× more app traffic doesn't mean 10× more API calls.

### Calculate your expected usage [#calculate-your-expected-usage]

- How many leagues you track, how often you refresh, and how many events per league at a time.
- Only events with open markets? Then `oddsAvailable=true` and count those.

### Specify oddID when you only need specific markets [#specify-oddid-when-you-only-need-specific-markets]

- Cuts payloads by up to ~100× and improves response times.

### Implement retry logic on 500-level errors [#implement-retry-logic-on-500-level-errors]

- Wait a short period, retry once. If it still fails, stop and log.

### Use query params to filter data [#use-query-params-to-filter-data]

- Filtering at the API level means less irrelevant data returned, faster responses, fewer objects.

### Use eventID by itself for direct lookups [#use-eventid-by-itself-for-direct-lookups]

- With `eventID` or `eventIDs` all other filters are ignored; response-shaping params (`oddID`, `bookmakerID`, `includeAltLines`) still apply.

### Use limit and cursor together [#use-limit-and-cursor-together]

- Raise `limit` before you start paging.

### Keep your API key secure [#keep-your-api-key-secure]

- Never in frontend code. Never in version control.

### Monitor your usage [#monitor-your-usage]

- `/account/usage` shows where you stand against your limits.

### Handle missing fields defensively [#handle-missing-fields-defensively]

- Critical fields (`eventID`, `sportID`, `leagueID`) are always present; less critical ones (`colors`, `results`, `players`) may be empty. Use `names.long || names.medium || names.short`.

### Read the honesty flags [#read-the-honesty-flags]

- `available`, `info.stale` and `notice` tell you what the feed knows and what your plan withheld. Treat them as data.

### Vary your polling intervals [#vary-your-polling-intervals]

- Odds far from kick-off change slowly and many markets aren't offered until 24–48 hours out. Poll less for the far future.

### Learn the oddID structure [#learn-the-oddid-structure]

- `{statID}-{statEntityID}-{periodID}-{betTypeID}-{sideID}`. Knowing it makes everything faster.

### Look league keys up, never construct them [#look-league-keys-up-never-construct-them]

- `RUGBYLEAGUE_NRLW`, `FR_LIGUE_1`, `UCL` — from `/leagues`.

## Anti-patterns to avoid [#anti-patterns-to-avoid]

### Making API requests from a frontend/browser [#making-api-requests-from-a-frontendbrowser]

- Exposes your key. Proxy through a backend, or sync to your database and query that.

### Polling on an interval on the free plan [#polling-on-an-interval-on-the-free-plan]

- 10 requests a minute goes quickly; run requests manually and upgrade when you're ready to schedule.

### Polling too frequently [#polling-too-frequently]

- The source refreshes every ~2 minutes; faster polling wastes quota.

### Always polling all upcoming games [#always-polling-all-upcoming-games]

- Cache longer for far-off games.

### Not considering response codes [#not-considering-response-codes]

- A 429 carries `Retry-After`; not waiting burns quota faster.

### Not considering error messages [#not-considering-error-messages]

- Every error has `success: false` and an `error` field. Log it.

### Always including includeAltLines=true [#always-including-includealtlinestrue]

- Multiplies the payload; ask only when needed.

### Using startsAfter/startsBefore when unneeded [#using-startsafterstartsbefore-when-unneeded]

- They widen the scan; combine with as few other filters as possible.

### Filtering results on the client [#filtering-results-on-the-client]

- Filter at the API with query parameters instead of downloading everything.

### Using wrong/invalid query parameters [#using-wronginvalid-query-parameters]

- See the [reference](https://sockodds.com/docs/reference/) for valid parameters per endpoint.

### Acting on a stale or suspended price [#acting-on-a-stale-or-suspended-price]

- Verify on the book via `links.bookmakers` before staking; prices move.

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