# Generation allowance

> Every model call on code.extension.dev spends one unit of a daily and a monthly allowance, and when either is spent only generation locks.

Canonical: https://docs.extension.dev/code/allowance
This page as Markdown: https://docs.extension.dev/code/allowance.md
Section: Code
Siblings: [AI generation](https://docs.extension.dev/code.md) · [Terminal](https://docs.extension.dev/code/terminal.md) · [Chat mode](https://docs.extension.dev/code/chat-mode.md) · [Starters and templates](https://docs.extension.dev/code/starters.md) · [Live preview](https://docs.extension.dev/code/preview.md) · [Select to edit](https://docs.extension.dev/code/select-to-edit.md) · [The Code tab](https://docs.extension.dev/code/code-tab.md) · [Build console](https://docs.extension.dev/code/build-console.md) · [Checkpoints](https://docs.extension.dev/code/checkpoints.md) · [Drafts](https://docs.extension.dev/code/drafts.md) · [Firefox engine](https://docs.extension.dev/code/firefox-engine.md) · [Download and run locally](https://docs.extension.dev/code/download-and-run.md) · [Share links](https://docs.extension.dev/code/share.md) · [Publish and import](https://docs.extension.dev/code/publish.md) · [Settings and sign-in](https://docs.extension.dev/code/settings.md)
Map of every page: https://docs.extension.dev/llms.txt · Whole corpus: https://docs.extension.dev/llms-full.txt

---

# Generation allowance

The generation allowance is the number of model calls your plan includes per
day and per month. Reach for this page when a prompt is refused, or when you
want to know what a turn costs before you send it.

## Quick start

```text
usage
```

Type that in the terminal and it prints the month and the day, used and
limit, with both reset times in UTC. **Settings** shows the same line under
**Generation allowance**.


## How it works

### What spends a unit

Every model call spends one unit, in the terminal and in chat mode alike. A
terminal turn can make many calls, and each one counts. The 17 workspace
commands such as `build` and `preview-open`, typed by you, run with no model
call and spend nothing.

### The two ceilings

The allowance has a daily ceiling and a monthly one, and a prompt is refused
when either is spent. The daily ceiling resets at the next UTC midnight and
the monthly one on the first of the next UTC month. The numbers below are
the plan defaults.

### What keeps working

When the allowance is spent, only generation locks. The extension keeps
running in the emulator, and editing in the Code tab, checkpoints, download
and share stay open. The refusal card says so, and offers **Download your
extension**.

### The refusal card

The card is titled **Today's generation allowance is used up** or **This
month's generation allowance is used up**. It says when the ceiling resets,
reads **Paid plans start on** the first charge date with a link to the
pricing page, and its main button is **Notify me**.

### The generation size ceiling

A second ceiling bounds the size of what the terminal generates per UTC day:
2,000,000 tokens. A call over it is refused as `TOKEN_CEILING` without
spending a unit, and the same card appears with the title **Today's
generation size limit is reached**. It resets at the next UTC midnight.

### The turn cap

One terminal turn can make at most 40 model calls. The 41st is refused as
`TURN_CALL_CAP` with no unit charged, and the message says to send a new
prompt to keep going.

## Reference

| Plan | Per UTC day | Per UTC month |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free | 50 | 300 |
| Pro | 200 | 2000 |

| Limit | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Units per model call | 1 |
| Model calls per terminal turn | 40 |
| Tokens generated per UTC day | 2,000,000 |

| Refusal | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `QUOTA_EXCEEDED` | The day's or the month's allowance is spent |
| `TOKEN_CEILING` | The day's generation size is spent, no unit charged |
| `TURN_CALL_CAP` | This turn made 40 calls, no unit charged |

## When it fails

- **The card says today's allowance is used up.** Wait for the next UTC
  midnight, or move to Pro. What you built stays on screen, and download
  and share still work.
- **The card says this month's allowance is used up.** The monthly ceiling
  resets on the first of the next UTC month.
- **The card says today's generation size limit is reached.** The terminal
  generated 2,000,000 tokens today. No unit was charged. It resets at the
  next UTC midnight.
- **A turn stops after many calls.** The turn hit 40 model calls. Send a new
  prompt and the agent continues.
- **`usage` says to sign in.** Your session ended. Sign in and run it again.

## Next

- [Terminal](/code/terminal) for the commands that spend nothing
- [Chat mode](/code/chat-mode) for what one prompt spends
- [Settings and sign-in](/code/settings) for the Generation allowance row