🔍 Overview
When you use the Search Atlas MCP server (mcp.searchatlas.com) to run keyword-related queries — such as retrieving keyword rankings for a domain — your account is charged using Universal Credits (UC). Understanding how these credits are consumed helps you plan usage and avoid unexpected quota shortfalls.
📊 How Credits Are Charged for Keyword Queries
Credit consumption for keyword ranking queries through the MCP server is based on the number of results returned, not the number of queries submitted. This means:
- If a domain ranking query returns 74 keywords, your account is charged for 74 rows of data.
- Each keyword result row consumes 1 Universal Credit.
- A single API call that returns 74 keywords will therefore deduct 74 Universal Credits from your quota.
This row-based billing model replaced the previous fixed query-limit system. The credit system now reflects actual data consumption rather than the number of times you call the endpoint.
💳 What Type of Credit Is Used?
Keyword queries run through the MCP server consume Universal Credits (UC). Universal Credits are a shared credit pool used across multiple Search Atlas features, including keyword research, site exploration, and other data-intensive tools. There is no separate credit bucket exclusively for MCP server calls.
🔄 When Does My Credit Quota Reset?
Universal Credit quotas reset on your monthly billing cycle date — the same date your Search Atlas subscription renews each month. For example, if your billing date is the 5th of each month, your UC balance resets on the 5th.
- Unused Universal Credits do not roll over to the next billing period.
- If you exhaust your UC balance before the reset date, you can top up your credits from the billing page inside the platform.
- Credit consumption and remaining balance are visible in your account's billing and quota section.
🛠️ How to Monitor Your Universal Credit Usage
- Log in to your Search Atlas account.
- Navigate to your Billing page using the account menu.
- Locate the Universal Credits section to view your current balance, total allocation, and consumption history.
If quota banners or credit totals do not appear to update immediately after MCP server queries, allow a few minutes for the system to sync and then refresh the page. This is a known display latency that does not affect actual credit deduction accuracy.
💡 Tips to Manage Credit Consumption
- Filter before querying: Narrow your domain or keyword parameters in the MCP request to retrieve only the results you need, reducing the number of rows returned.
- Avoid duplicate queries: The MCP server includes keyword deduplication warnings — pay attention to these to prevent charging for repeated data.
- Schedule large queries strategically: If you expect high-volume queries, run them shortly after your billing reset date to maximise the credit window.
- Use the Rank Tracker for ongoing monitoring: For recurring keyword tracking needs, consider using Left sidebar → Keywords → Rank Tracker (Keyword Rank Tracker) inside the platform, which may be more credit-efficient than repeated MCP queries for the same data.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does the number of domains queried affect credit consumption?
Yes. Each domain query is processed independently. If you query three domains and each returns 50 keywords, your account is charged 150 Universal Credits in total (50 per domain).
What if the query returns zero results?
If no keyword data is returned, no Universal Credits are deducted. Credits are only consumed for rows of data actually delivered.
Can I see a breakdown of MCP server credit usage specifically?
The Billing page's Activity Log tab currently shows overall UC consumption. If you need a granular breakdown by tool or query type, contact our support team via the chat widget.
🆘 Need Further 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.