🔍 Overview
This article explains the most common billing questions Search Atlas customers ask: what AI credits are, how top-ups and Pro subscription charges work, and where to locate purchased backlinks inside the platform.
🤖 What Are AI Credits?
AI credits are the in-platform currency that powers Search Atlas's AI-driven tools. Every time you use a feature that relies on artificial intelligence — such as generating content, running AI-assisted SEO audits, or using QUEST LLM Visibility — the action consumes a set number of AI credits from your account balance.
Common features that use AI credits include:
- AI content generation — writing or rewriting page content and meta tags
- QUEST LLM Visibility — analysing how your brand appears in large language model results
- Automated SEO recommendations — generating prioritised action lists for your sites
- AI-assisted drafting for Authority Campaigns — note: press release and Cloud Stack distribution itself draws from your shared Hyperdrive Credits balance, not AI credits
📦 What Is Included in the Pro Subscription?
Your monthly Pro subscription charge covers your core plan entitlements. Depending on the tier you selected at sign-up, this typically includes:
- A set monthly allocation of AI credits (refreshed on your billing renewal date)
- Access to all core Search Atlas tools — keyword research, site audits, backlink analysis, rank tracking, and content editing
- Access to the Authority suite, including Cloud Stacks, URL Indexer, Campaigns, Inbox, and Sent
- Access to More Features, including Backlink Gap Analysis and Backlink Research
- Agency Whitelabel capabilities (if included in your plan tier)
Your exact credit allocation and feature limits are shown under the top-right avatar → Billing (Plans & Top-ups tab) inside the platform.
⚡ What Are AI Credit Top-Up Charges?
If you exhaust your monthly AI credit allocation before your renewal date, you can purchase additional credits through an AI top-up. Top-up charges appear on your invoice separately from your regular Pro subscription fee. They are a one-time purchase — not a recurring subscription — and the credits are added to your balance immediately after payment is confirmed.
To check your current credit balance or purchase a top-up, navigate to your account billing or usage settings inside the platform.
📊 How to Monitor Your AI Credit Usage
Keeping an eye on your credit consumption helps you avoid unexpected top-up charges. To review usage:
- Log in to Search Atlas.
- Open your account settings or billing dashboard.
- Go to Avatar → Billing → Plans & Top-ups (the "Your Plan and Credits" section) to see your quota totals.
If your team uses credits faster than expected, consider reviewing which features are running automatically or how frequently AI-assisted tasks are being triggered.
🔗 Where to Find Your Purchased Backlinks
Backlinks you have ordered or analysed through Search Atlas are accessible via the More Features section of the platform. There are two dedicated tools:
- Link Gap Analysis — compare your backlink profile against competitors and identify link-building opportunities. Navigate to More Features → Backlinks → Link Gap Analysis.
- Backlink Research — view a detailed breakdown of all backlinks pointing to your site, including new, lost, and existing links. Navigate to More Features → Backlinks → Backlink Research.
If you have purchased backlinks as part of an Authority Campaign, you can track their status by going to Left sidebar → Authority → Campaigns and selecting the relevant campaign. Related communications are available under Left sidebar → Authority → Inbox and Left sidebar → Authority → Sent.
🛠️ Quick Troubleshooting
If something does not look right with your billing or credits, run through these checks first:
- Unexpected charge on your invoice? — Confirm whether it is labelled as a Pro subscription renewal or a one-time AI top-up. Both appear on the same invoice but are separate line items.
- Credits not refreshing? — Credits reset on your billing renewal date, not a fixed calendar date. Check your renewal date in your billing settings.
- Cannot see purchased backlinks? — Make sure you are looking under More Features → Backlinks and that you are logged into the correct workspace if you manage multiple accounts.
- Top-up credits not applied? — Allow a few minutes after payment confirmation. If the balance has not updated after 10 minutes, contact support using the method below.
💬 Need More Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.