DocumentationAtlas MCP credits and limits
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Atlas MCP credits and limits
Each Atlas MCP search spends 2 credits and a usage read spends none. Here is how the monthly allowance works and how to check what remains.
On this page
What each call costs
A search costs the same whether it returns one record or fifty, so a wider limit on a single call is cheaper than several narrow ones. Rejected calls are not charged.
| Tool | Credits per call | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| search_papers | 2 | Charged once per call, whatever the result count |
| usage_status | 0 | Always free to call |
Your monthly allowance
A provisioned workspace receives 1,000 MCP credits and 1,000 Atlas REST calls per period by default. An individual account can be set higher, so read your own usage rather than assuming the default.
The period is a UTC calendar month. Usage resets when the month changes, not on a rolling window from when you signed up.
A workspace can hold up to 5 active MCP keys at once. Create one per client so you can revoke a single connection without disturbing the others.
Check what is left
Ask your AI client to call usage_status. It reports used, limit, and remaining for the MCP channel, along with the workspace and the current period.
Because the call is free, use it to tell failure modes apart. A revoked key returns HTTP 401 Invalid Rivul Atlas key even when plenty of allowance remains, while an exhausted allowance reports the quota.
A worked example
The retained interoperability run recorded September 16, 2026 shows the arithmetic. Claude Code read 994 remaining credits after its browser-authorized search, then 992 after repeating the same bounded three-result search through a dedicated key.
Two searches, four credits. The result count did not change the cost: both calls used a limit of 3.
When the allowance runs out
Search calls stop succeeding and report the quota rather than returning partial results. usage_status keeps working, because it never spends a credit.
Wait for the next period, or contact support to discuss the allowance on your workspace. Creating more MCP keys does not add credits; the allowance belongs to the workspace, not to a key.
Something here wrong or missing? Email support@rivul.ai.