# Credits

> What a call costs, how the charge is worked out, and how to cap it.

Manifold is paid for in credits. 100 credits are one US dollar. Most calls spend some, a few tools are free, and each result says what it cost in `meta.credits_charged`.

## What calls cost

Each tool's cost is a formula on what you ask for: the rows, the pages, the engines. The tool's description states it, so your agent knows the price before it calls. Some common calls:

| Call | Tool | Credits | Dollars |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| The top 10 Google results for a keyword | [`seo_get_serp`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/seo#seo_get_serp) | 1 credit | $0.01 |
| 100 keyword ideas with their metrics | [`seo_search_keywords`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/seo#seo_search_keywords) | 10 credits | $0.10 |
| A domain overview | [`seo_get_domain_overview`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/seo#seo_get_domain_overview) | 5 credits | $0.05 |
| 1,000 backlinks | [`seo_get_backlinks`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/seo#seo_get_backlinks) | 25 credits | $0.25 |
| One prompt on ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity | [`aeo_run_ai_answers`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/aeo#aeo_run_ai_answers) | 16 credits | $0.16 |
| A 100-page technical crawl | [`seo_run_technical_crawl`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/seo#seo_run_technical_crawl) | 3 credits | $0.03 |
| A person's work email, found | [`leads_get_email`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/leads#leads_get_email) | 6 credits | $0.06 |
| A person's work email, not found | [`leads_get_email`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/leads#leads_get_email) | 1 credit | $0.01 |
| A TikTok profile | [`tiktok_get_profile`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/tiktok#tiktok_get_profile) | 1 credit | $0.01 |

Each tool's page lists its cost. These are free: [`get_task`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools#async-tasks), [`seo_get_page`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/seo#seo_get_page), [`aeo_get_site_readiness`](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/tools/aeo#aeo_get_site_readiness), and any call with `dry_run: true`.

## How a charge is worked out

1. **Estimate.** The server prices the call at the most it can cost, for example the full `limit` you asked for.
2. **Hold.** It holds that many credits on your balance. If the balance is too low, the call stops with `InsufficientCredits` and costs nothing.
3. **Settle.** After the call it charges for what came back, such as the rows returned, and never more than the estimate. The rest of the hold is released.

A call that reaches a provider costs at least 1 credit, even when the provider has nothing (`NoData`). A call that fails because a provider is down, the input is bad or too many of your calls are running costs nothing. See [Errors and limits](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/limits).

An answer from the [cache](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/caching) skips the hold and costs 25% of the live price, rounded up, with a minimum of 1 credit. An answer your workspace already paid for is free until it expires.

## Cap what a call can spend

Calls spend credits without a confirmation step, so give your agent a budget:

- **`max_credits`** refuses any call whose estimate is higher. The result is `BudgetExceeded` with the estimate, and nothing is charged.
- **`dry_run: true`** returns only `meta` with the estimate. It costs nothing.

```json
{"keyword": "crm for startups", "depth": 100, "max_credits": 5}
```

## Watch your usage

The app's **Usage** page lists every call that was charged or served from the cache, with the tool, the target and the credits. The dashboard shows a month of credits and your balance. Calls that failed are not listed, because they cost nothing.

## Run out, and top up

When a call is not answered from the cache and the balance is below its estimate, the call returns `InsufficientCredits`, and your agent should stop and tell you. A cache hit takes no hold, so it can still be served on a low balance. Buy credits or change plan on the app's **Billing** page. See [Plans and top-ups](https://www.manifoldmcp.com/docs/plans).