> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ideatura.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Credits

> Understand task-stage usage and read your balance.

Credits measure how much Ideatura work you use. A short question and a detailed modelling task can use different amounts. Check both your remaining balance and the usage shown in a chat.

## 1. Read the balance

Open **Settings → General** and read each credit meter’s label, used amount and allowance, including any reset information. Credits measure usage; **Workspace Storage** measures retained files. One message is not a fixed number of credits. See [Settings](https://docs.ideatura.ai/v2/overview/settings.md#credits-and-storage).

![Credit allowances and separate Workspace Storage meter.](https://mintcdn.com/ideatura/es2pEmCgfCrT5MoG/images/studio-tour/usage.svg?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=es2pEmCgfCrT5MoG\&q=85\&s=2904168f72fcc0e3f3b746e38f908260)

Use the current [pricing page](https://ideatura.ai/pricing) and your purchase terms for allowances and top-ups. The [Terms of Service, section 9](https://ideatura.ai/tos), explains credit consumption, expiry and billing. Exact task cost may not be known in advance.

## 2. Separate task stages

Building a new automation and running an existing one are different tasks. For example, asking AI to create a grid-dimensioning tool involves more work than choosing the views for a tool you already have. Check the recorded usage for each stage; a saved run is not automatically free.

## 3. Include retries

Corrections and repeated attempts contribute to the conversation's usage. The **12.6** shown here is the total for this example chat, not the price of a particular task. Your model choice, thinking level and the amount of reference material can affect usage.

![Conversation showing 12.6 credits of usage and Revit execution unblocked, separate from task completion.](https://mintcdn.com/ideatura/hq7svU0EFRNXHN5Y/images/studio-tour/task-status-usage.svg?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=hq7svU0EFRNXHN5Y\&q=85\&s=96e398502b82e53ead9bf02e28cf6f3a)

## 4. Measure a useful result

Open **Settings → General → Portal**, then **Usage**, to find a chat's total. To understand the cost of your workflow, start with one floor or drawing, check the result and include any corrections in your comparison. Use [Troubleshooting](https://docs.ideatura.ai/v2/troubleshooting/common-problems.md) if repeated attempts are not improving the result.

![Portal Usage table showing the schedule conversation, last activity and 12.6 credits.](https://mintcdn.com/ideatura/iKDOomFNi0bCoQmW/images/studio-tour/portal-conversation-usage.svg?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=iKDOomFNi0bCoQmW\&q=85\&s=4d57b7b99654eeb6ab9c1e8300210bfc)


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