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"