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Every paid plan includes a monthly amount of Elephas AI usage. Only answers from Elephas AI use it. Indexing your documents never does, and neither does asking with your own API key or Local AI.

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Before you start

  • You need an active trial or plan. See plans and pricing.
  • Usage applies to Elephas AI, the option labelled Elephas AI (included with your plan) in Settings › AI.

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Check your usage

1

Open Settings › AI

On Mac, choose Elephas › Settings… or press ⌘,. On Windows, choose File › Settings… or press Ctrl+,. Then choose AI.
2

Read the meter

On a paid plan, the meter is labelled Included AI usage and reads, for example, “Included AI usage: 40% used this month. Resets” followed by the reset date. On the free trial it is labelled Trial AI usage and shows when the trial ends.
3

Refresh if needed

Click Refresh Usage to fetch the latest numbers. If Elephas can’t reach its server, it shows the last known figures with “Couldn’t refresh. Last known at” and the time.

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How it works

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What uses your allowance

  • Answers from Elephas AI. Each question uses some allowance. Longer questions, more passages and longer answers use more.
  • Agent steps. When Elephas takes several steps to answer, such as reading whole sources, each step counts. Before a question that reads whole sources, Elephas warns: “This question reads whole sources, so it may use noticeably more of your AI allowance than usual.”

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What never uses it

  • Indexing. Reading your files, OCR and building the search index run on your computer. Always.
  • Search and citations. Finding passages and opening sources are local.
  • Your own API key. Your provider bills you directly. See use your own API key.
  • Local AI. The model runs on your computer. See run Local AI.

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Credits

Plan cards show the monthly amount as AI credits, for example “Includes 3,000 AI credits of usage each month.” Credits are a display unit for your included usage. They are not money, they cannot be bought or refunded, and they have no cash value.

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When it resets

Your included usage resets once a month. The reset date is shown under the meter. On an annual plan you still get a monthly amount, not twelve months at once. Unused usage does not roll over. The free trial is different: its usage is one amount for the whole 7 days, with a daily share. See free trial.

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When you get close or run out

  • At about 80%, Elephas shows a notice so you are not surprised.
  • When it runs out, Elephas AI pauses and shows “Your Elephas AI allowance is used up until” followed by the reset date. You are never charged extra.
  • You can keep asking right away by switching to your own API key or Local AI in Settings › AI. Both are included with Personal and Professional.
  • If you regularly run out, Professional includes more usage each month. See upgrade your plan.

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On a Team plan

A Team shares one pool of Elephas AI usage, sized by its paid seats. The Team Owner or an Admin can set a cap for each member. If you reach it, you see “You’ve reached the limit your Team set for you.” Team workspaces cannot use your own API key. See team seats and billing.

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Troubleshooting

Elephas has not received your usage figures yet. Check that you are signed in and online, then click Refresh Usage.
A recent answer is still being counted. Wait a moment and try again.
Elephas stops and shows “Your AI allowance ran out during this answer. Check usage in Settings.” See AI allowance used up.

Elephas AI

AI allowance used up

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