If you see the message "Quota Exhausted" anywhere in Search Atlas, it means your account has reached the usage limit for a specific feature included in your plan or trial.
This article explains what this error means, why it happens, and what you can do next, regardless of the tool you're using.
🔍 What does "Quota Exhausted" mean?
Search Atlas uses quotas to control usage across different features.
When a quota is fully used:
When a quota is exhausted, the platform immediately blocks that feature for your account until the quota resets or is topped up. Other features are unaffected.
👉 This is expected system behavior, not a bug.
⚠️ Important: In some known cases, your quota counter may display 0 or an incorrect value even though your plan allocation is correctly set in our system. This can affect features including Custom Queries, Heatmaps, and AI tools. Contact support — do not assume the quota is truly exhausted.
⚠️ Note: A fix has been deployed to automatically correct certain Redis quota corruption errors (which previously surfaced as 500s on heatmap refresh). If you still see a 500 error after this fix, contact support — it may be a different underlying issue.
⚠️ Known issue — Website Builder / LPS chat box: If you click the upgrade link shown when quota is exhausted and are taken to the wrong page, navigate manually to your billing page at https://dashboard.searchatlas.com/billing. A fix is being released shortly.
🧠 Why does this happen?
Each Search Atlas feature consumes quota based on usage, not just setup.
Common reasons include:
🔄 1. High-frequency usage
Actions like:
- Re-running scans
- Refreshing data
- Updating tracking
consume quota every time they run.
📌 Note: Keyword Explorer bulk (KMT term-search) exports now count against your quota following a recent backend update. If an export fails unexpectedly, check your remaining quota before retrying.
📊 2. Large inputs
Using:
- Many keywords
- Multiple sites
- Large datasets
can consume quota faster than expected.
🧪 3. Trial and plan limits
- Free trials include limited quotas
- Paid plans include monthly quota caps
- Quotas are not unlimited unless explicitly stated
🗑️ 4. Removing data does not restore quota
Deleting items, keywords, or projects:
- ❌ Does not give quota back
- ✅ Quota can only be restored by (a) your monthly plan reset on your billing cycle date, or (b) purchasing a quota top-up add-on from the Billing page. Plan upgrades may also increase your monthly cap.
📊 How quotas work across Search Atlas (Detailed Breakdown)
🔽 Plan quotas vs Top-Ups (Important distinction)
Quotas included in your plan
Every Search Atlas plan (Starter, Growth, Pro, Agency) includes built-in monthly quotas for different features such as:
- AI credits
- Local SEO heatmaps
- Rank tracking refreshes
- Authority building credits
- Automations and indexing
These quotas:
- ✅ Are included in your monthly subscription
- 🔁 Reset automatically every billing cycle (monthly, on your billing cycle anniversary date)
- ❌ Do not roll over if unused (unless explicitly stated)
My quota hasn't reset after my billing cycle renewed
If your monthly billing cycle has renewed but your quota counter still shows the previous period's usage (for example, a heatmap quota that has not refreshed for one or more cycles), contact support with:
- Your account email
- Your billing cycle date
- The feature affected
- A screenshot of the current quota counter
Agents can perform a manual quota reset once a sync failure is confirmed.
My quota didn't update after a payment or top-up
In some cases, billing-to-quota sync can lag after a payment, top-up purchase, or plan upgrade. If you have been charged but your dashboard still shows the previous quota (or continues to display "Quota Exhausted"), contact support and include:
- The payment confirmation or invoice
- The date and amount of the charge
- The feature or top-up you purchased
A manual quota correction may be required while the team investigates the sync issue. Please allow time for the team to apply the fix on their end.
Top-Ups (additional purchased quota)
Top-Ups are extra quota purchases that sit on top of your plan.
Important:
- Some Top-Ups are recurring
- Some Top-Ups are non-recurring (rollover)
⚠️ This distinction matters and is a common source of confusion.
🔽 Recurring vs Non-Recurring Top-Ups — what does this mean?
🔁 Recurring Top-Ups
These:
- Are billed monthly
- Reset every billing cycle
- Behave like an extension of your plan quota
Examples:
- Local SEO Points
- Keyword Rank Tracker refreshes
- GBP Automation locations
- User Seats
- OTTO Sites
👉 If unused, they do not carry over to the next month.
➕ Non-Recurring (Rollover) Top-Ups
These:
- Are purchased once
- Do NOT reset monthly
- Remain in your account until fully used
Examples:
- AI Premium Quota
- OTTO AI quota points
- URL Indexer quota
- Hyperdrive Credits
👉 These are ideal for one-time or burst usage.
⚙️ What consumes quota by feature (and how it can be used without noticing)
🔽 AI Quota / AI Generation (OTTO & AI tools)
Consumed when:
- Generating AI metadata, headings, internal links
- Creating topical maps
- Generating landing pages
- AI suggestions inside OTTO
- AI-assisted GBP posts
Easy to miss when:
- Running bulk fixes or recommendations
- Accepting multiple AI suggestions quickly
- Generating content drafts you don't end up publishing
📌 Note: OTTO Sites and Site Auditor Projects are separate quotas, each with its own limit. However, adding OTTO to a domain requires an existing Site Audit project for that domain, so a brand-new domain needs both a free Site Audit project slot and a free OTTO site slot. If your OTTO dashboard shows available slots but you still receive a Quota Exhausted error on a new domain, your Site Auditor project quota may be the binding constraint. Contact support for a manual audit.
📍 Where can I check my quota? — Tip: OTTO users can now view quota consumption directly on the All Sites (SEO Automation) dashboard without navigating away. Navigate to OTTO SEO > All Sites (SEO Automation) to see a quota overview alongside your projects.
🔽 AI Premium Quota (Content Genius)
Consumed when:
- Generating full AI articles
- Generating topical maps inside Content Genius
- Running AI tasks inside the editor
Important:
- 1 full article = 3 AI Premium credits
- Credits are charged at generation, not publication
Easy to miss when:
- Regenerating articles multiple times
- Creating topical maps "just to explore"