Control AI Translation Costs with Project Quotas
AI translation is addicting. One click, 10 languages translated. Magic.
But each translation costs quota. And quota costs money.
Here's how to stay in control.
Understanding Quota
Every AI translation consumes 1 unit:
- Translate "Save" to Spanish = 1 unit
- Translate "Save" to 10 languages = 10 units
- Re-translate the same text = costs again
Your subscription includes monthly quota. When it's gone, AI translation stops (manual still works).
The Risk
You have 3 projects. One developer discovers "Translate Missing" and runs it on the biggest project. 5,000 translations later, your account quota is gone.
The other two projects? No AI translation for the rest of the month.
Project-Level Limits
Set quotas per project:
| Project | Limit | Purpose | |---------|-------|---------| | Main App | 5,000 | High traffic, needs most translations | | Admin Panel | 1,000 | Internal, fewer languages | | Marketing Site | 2,000 | Content changes frequently | | Sandbox | 500 | Testing and experiments |
Total: 8,500 distributed across projects.
The sandbox can't accidentally consume the main app's quota.
Setting Limits
- Go to project settings
- Find AI Quota
- Enter a number
Set to 0 for "use remaining account quota" — useful for your primary project.
Quota Packs
Need more quota? Buy a pack:
- Quota packs never expire
- Applied account-wide
- Use them after monthly quota is exhausted
Good for:
- Seasonal spikes
- New project launches
- Big translation pushes
Monitoring Usage
See quota usage in multiple places:
- Dashboard: Account-wide remaining
- Translation form: Warning when low
- Translate Missing dialog: Shows estimated consumption before you start
No surprises.
Best Practices
- Set limits on all projects. Even generous ones. It's a safety net.
- Review before bulk operations. "Translate Missing" tells you how much it'll cost.
- Start with AI, finish with humans. AI for first pass, humans for polish.
- Don't re-translate unnecessarily. Edit the AI output, don't regenerate.
AI translation is a tool. Quotas make sure it stays under control.