## 🔍 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

1. Log in to your Search Atlas account.
2. Navigate to your **Billing** page using the account menu.
3. 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.