What Uses Credits and How to Optimize AI Costs
AiFaqChat is designed to be transparent and predictable when it comes to usage. Credits are only consumed when the AI assistant actually does work.
Understanding what uses credits — and how to optimize usage — helps you keep costs under control without sacrificing quality.
What Consumes Credits?
Credits are used whenever the AI processes information or generates responses.
1. AI Chat Messages
Every message answered by the AI assistant consumes credits.
Credit usage depends on:
- Length of the user question
- Length of the AI response
- Amount of context needed to answer
Longer conversations naturally use more credits than short, focused interactions.
2. Automatic Website Scanning
When automatic training is enabled, AiFaqChat scans your website and processes content.
Credits are used when:
- Pages are scanned for the first time
- New or updated content is detected
- Content is analyzed and added to the knowledge base
No credits are used if no changes are found.
3. Manual Training Content
Adding custom training text also consumes credits — but only once, when the content is processed.
This includes:
- FAQs
- Product descriptions
- Policies and documentation
- Internal guidelines for answers
4. Retraining the AI
Full retraining rebuilds the AI knowledge base using your existing content.
This is useful after major updates, but it consumes more credits than incremental updates.
What Does NOT Use Credits?
- Installing or displaying widgets
- Idle time with no chats
- Visitors opening the widget without asking questions
You only pay for real AI activity.
How to Optimize AI Costs
1. Improve Training Quality
Well-structured training content helps the AI answer faster and more accurately.
- Avoid duplicate information
- Keep answers concise and clear
- Remove outdated content
Better training = fewer follow-up questions = fewer credits.
2. Use FAQ Widgets for Repetitive Questions
FAQ Widgets guide users toward quick answers without long conversations.
This reduces back-and-forth chats and saves credits over time.
3. Avoid Unnecessary Retraining
Retraining is powerful — but not always required.
- Use rescan for small website updates
- Retrain only after major content changes
4. Write Clear Rules for the AI
Well-written rules help the AI stay focused and avoid overly long responses.
This improves clarity for users and reduces token usage.
5. Monitor Usage Regularly
Check your dashboard to understand:
- Which sites consume the most credits
- When usage spikes occur
- Which content triggers long conversations
Small adjustments can lead to significant savings.
Balance Cost and Experience
The goal is not to minimize usage at all costs — but to get maximum value from every credit.
When your AI answers clearly and confidently, users get what they need faster — and your credits last longer.
Want to learn how to fine-tune your setup? Read how to write effective AI rules or explore training best practices — or get started with AiFaqChat .