Usage and spend limits
Configure cost-based usage limits for BYOK workspaces at the workspace, plan, group, and user level.
With your own keys (BYOK), every chat and agent message is billed directly to your model provider. Usage limits cap how much your workspace and each user can spend per month. Once included limits are reached, available individual Extra Usage lets chat and agent users continue with their selected model before the configured fallback model takes over.
Manage them in Usage and spend limits in your Workspace Settings.
How usage limits work
Limits are set as a monthly spend amount and measured against your provider cost. Three scopes combine:
- Workspace spend limit caps total spend across the workspace.
- Per-user limits cap spend for each user, set through plans or groups, with an individual override for exceptions.
- Per-agent limits cap spend on a specific agent. See Agent limits.
Workspace spend limit
Set the maximum monthly spend across all chat and agent usage.
1. Open usage settings
Navigate to Usage and spend limits in your Workspace Settings.
2. Adjust the limit
Click Adjust limit under the workspace spend limit. Choose Unlimited or set a Custom amount.
The page shows how much has been spent this period and when it resets.
Per-user limits
Set a default monthly limit per user for each plan under the Spend limits per plan section. Users have different needs, so BYOK workspaces have two plans: Standard (the default) and Power user.
By default, ajan breaks each monthly limit into a weekly and a session limit to pace usage, so a single busy day doesn't burn through the month:
- Weekly is a quarter of the monthly limit.
- Session is a third of the weekly limit, over a 5-hour window.
A session starts when a user sends a message and lasts 5 hours, which protects users from using their whole weekly budget in a short time, for example with an unusually expensive model. If your team often needs that kind of burst, expand Weekly and session limits and select Use weekly limits only to turn off session limits. The setting applies to every user in the workspace.
To give specific users more capacity, set a higher limit on the Power user plan, then assign those users to it from the Plan column on the Users tab.
Group limits
Set one monthly limit for everyone in a group when a team needs a shared budget that differs from the plan defaults.
1. Open the Groups tab
On the usage settings page, switch to the Groups tab.
2. Edit the limit
Click Edit limit on a group and choose Custom or Unlimited.
Each user gets the highest limit that applies to them across their plan and any groups they belong to. Group limits use the same weekly and session breakdown. For groups provisioned through SCIM, the limit stays attached, so new members pick it up automatically.
Individual limits
You can also set extra usage to give individual users more spending capacity without changing their plan. It's a flat monthly budget on top of their plan or group limit, with no weekly or session breakdown, and it applies once the user reaches their session or weekly limit. Set it on the Users tab with Edit individual limit.
Cost limit fallback model
When a user reaches a chat or agent limit and no available Extra Usage remains, their next message uses the fallback model so they can keep working. Set the Cost limit fallback model in Models in your Workspace Settings. If you don't set one, ajan uses the workspace backbone model.
Usage requests
Turn on Allow usage requests so users can ask for a higher limit when they hit one. Admins are notified and can respond by raising the user's individual limit, moving them to another plan, or dismissing the request.
What users see
Users see no indication of a usage limit until you configure per-user limits. Once limits are set, they track their usage on the Usage page in their Account Settings, shown as percentages of their limits. The context window indicator next to the model selector also shows their usage directly in the chat. See Usage limit indicator. When they reach a chat or agent limit and no available Extra Usage remains, a notice above the chat input names the limit and its reset time, and their next message uses the fallback model. If a limit is reached while a model is responding, it finishes that response before the fallback model takes over.
Models without cost data
Cost tracking needs input and output token prices for each model. If an enabled model is missing them, the usage page shows a warning and usage on that model isn't counted. Add prices in Models in your Workspace Settings. See How to add your own models.
Last updated: June 2026