Work that costs ContentForge real money to run, like Zeus writing a page, creating an image or running a map scan, is paid for with credits. Everything else is free. This article explains where credits come from, the order they're spent in, and what happens when they run out.
How to check your balance
- Look at the bottom of the sidebar. The credit chip shows your total, for example 240 credits, with a smaller line under it: "200 plan · 40 pack · refills Nov 3".
- Hover over the chip to see the split in words and the refill date.
- Click the chip to open Billing & credits. The three cards at the top show Credit balance, Current plan and Next refill.
What the chip can show:
- A number of credits with the plan / pack split: the normal view.
- A yellow coin icon: you have 10 credits or fewer left.
- Payment failed (in yellow under the number): your last payment didn't go through. The hover text says "Payment failed — update your card in Billing & credits." Your credits keep working, but plan credits won't refill until it's paid.
- Credits ∞: an internal agency with unlimited credits. The hover text says "Unlimited credits (internal agency)".
- Nothing at all: credits aren't switched on for your account yet (see below).
The two kinds of credits
- Plan credits come with your plan every month. When your invoice is paid they reset to your plan's monthly amount. Unused plan credits don't roll over: they're listed as Expired in Credit history at the refill.
- Pack credits are credits you buy. They never expire, even if you cancel your plan. See How to buy credit packs.
ContentForge always spends plan credits first, then pack credits.
Plan credits refill every month on every plan, including annual plans: you pay for the year up front, but your credits still refill month by month.
Trial credits
A new agency starts with a one-time grant of trial credits, the same number as the Starter plan's monthly credits. The Current plan card shows "One-time trial credits" and Next refill says "No refill".
- On the 14-day card trial, your plan's monthly credits start once the trial ends and your first invoice is paid. Unused trial credits are replaced by them.
- If you cancel during the trial, unused trial credits expire when the trial ends.
- On an invitation trial (no card), trial credits are all you get until you subscribe.
You can buy a credit pack during any trial.
Before you run something
- Paid buttons show the cost next to their label, so you know the price before you click. A free action shows Free.
- Zeus chat shows a confirm card that says This uses credits before a paid task.
- In the Mount Olympus editor, Zeus asks you to confirm before a change that would cost credits.
Prices are set by ContentForge and can change. The button, and What things cost on Billing & credits, always show today's price. See What costs credits.
When you run out
If you don't have enough credits, the task doesn't start and nothing is charged. You'll see a message like:
"Map scan needs 3 credits — you have 1 credit. Buy credits to continue."
with a Buy credits button that opens the packs on Billing & credits. You're never charged money automatically for credits.
A job that has already started, like a site import that's halfway through, always finishes. If it takes your plan credits below zero, the difference comes off your next monthly refill.
Low-credit alert
When your balance drops below a set level, ContentForge emails the agency owner and everyone gets a Low credits notification in the bell, so you can top up before Zeus has to stop. The default level is 20% of your plan's monthly credits (for example 80 on a plan with 400 a month), or 25 credits if you're not on a plan. The Owner or an Admin can set a different level or turn it off in the Low-credit alert card on Billing & credits. You get one email each time you go below the level, then none until your balance is back above it. The sidebar chip also turns yellow at 10 credits or fewer. See Payment history and the billing emails you'll get.
Refunds
If a paid task fails, for example a map scan that can't complete or a page Zeus couldn't write, the credits go back automatically to the same place they came from (plan or pack). It shows in Credit history as Refund — ….
Credit history
Billing & credits → Credit history lists every change to your balance, newest first, 25 to a page (use the arrows to page through). Each row shows:
- Date and time,
- What: the task (for example "Map scan × 3"), or Plan credits, Credit pack, Refund — …, Adjustment or Expired,
- Credits: green for added, red for used,
- Balance after the change,
- Note: for example "Trial credits (one-time)" or "Unused plan credits expired at period end".
An Adjustment is a change made by ContentForge support, for example credits added after a support ticket.
Examples
- A busy month on Growth. You start the month with 400 plan credits and 100 pack credits. You run 30 map-scan keywords (30 credits) and build a 12-page site with Create with Zeus (24 credits). All 54 come from plan credits. Your pack credits are untouched.
- Running out mid-import. You have 6 credits and start a 4-page Zeus site import at 10 credits a page. Pages finish one by one, so the balance goes to -34 plan credits. Next month your refill of 400 lands as 366.
- A failed scan. A map scan can't reach the map data. The credits come straight back and Credit history shows a refund row.
Limits and what it can't do
- Plan credits can't be carried over to the next month or moved to another agency.
- Pack credits can't be refunded or turned back into money.
- You can't set a spending cap per team member. Anyone with access to a paid tool can spend the agency's credits.
- Credits are shared by the whole agency; there's no separate balance per client.
Who can use it
- Everyone on the team can see the balance and Credit history, and spend credits on the tools they have access to.
- Only the Owner or an Admin can buy credits, change the plan or change the low-credit alert.
- Client people never spend your credits directly. Work they request from the portal is done by your team.
Troubleshooting
- "Credits aren't switched on yet. Everything keeps working as it does today.": credits haven't been turned on for your account. Nothing is charged and paid tools keep working. Contact support if you think this is wrong.
- "… needs N credits — you have M. Buy credits to continue.": buy a pack, or wait for your monthly refill (the date is on the Next refill card).
- My balance is negative: a job that was already running finished after you ran out. The difference comes off your next refill. Buy a pack if you need to run something before then.
- My plan credits didn't refill: plan credits only refill once the invoice is paid. If the chip says Payment failed, update your card on Billing & credits. On a trial, Next refill shows "No refill" or the trial end date.
- Pack credits weren't used: that's expected while you still have plan credits. Plan credits always go first.
- I didn't get the low-credit email: it only goes to the agency owner, once per drop below the level. Check the alert is On and the level on Billing & credits, and check the owner's spam folder.
- Credits ∞ / "Internal (unlimited)": your agency is an internal ContentForge account with unlimited credits. Nothing is charged.