---
title: "Message tokens and what happens when you run out"
description: "What message tokens are, how each message is counted, how model multipliers work, when tokens reset, and what happens when your team runs out."
canonical_url: "https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/message-tokens"
last_updated: "2026-09-25"
---

# Message tokens and what happens when you run out

Message tokens measure how much work your bots do when they reply. Every plan includes a monthly allowance of message tokens, shared by every bot on your team. See [Compare plans](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/plans) for each plan's allowance.

## How a message is counted

When someone sends your bot a message, the AI model reads an input (your bot's instructions, relevant content from your knowledge, the conversation so far and the new message) and writes an output (the reply). Both are measured in tokens, roughly three-quarters of a word each.

- **Longer conversations use more tokens per message**, because the conversation so far is sent to the model with each new message.
- **More knowledge per answer uses more tokens.** Retrieval settings such as how many sources are added to each answer change the input size. See [Retrieval settings](https://chatthing.ai/docs/knowledge/retrieval-settings).
- **The model you choose changes the count.** See [Models and message tokens](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/message-tokens#models-and-message-tokens).

### What uses message tokens

| Uses message tokens | Doesn't use message tokens |
| --- | --- |
| Every reply your bot writes, including each step when it uses a power-up | Searching your knowledge for relevant content |
| Rephrasing the question when enhanced retrieval is on | Analytics (topics, sentiment, common questions) |
| AI conversation summaries | Syncing data sources (uses [storage tokens](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/storage-tokens) instead) |
| Turning a power-up result into a display |  |
| Bot test runs |  |
| Voice features such as speech replies and transcription |  |
| Chats in [My Chats](https://chatthing.ai/docs/manage/my-chats) and when you test your bot |  |

## Models and message tokens

Models cost different amounts to run, so each model has a multiplier for input tokens and one for output tokens. The tokens counted against your allowance are:

> (input tokens × input multiplier) + (output tokens × output multiplier)

A model with a 10× output multiplier uses ten times as many message tokens for the same reply as a model with a 1× multiplier. Output multipliers are often higher than input multipliers, because providers charge more for generated text. In your bot's settings, the model picker shows each model's multipliers.

The current list of models is loaded live on the [web version of this page](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/message-tokens) and at [https://chatthing.ai/models](https://chatthing.ai/models).

Model prices change often, usually downwards. When they do, we update the multipliers so your tokens go further.

## When tokens reset

Your allowance resets on the **1st of each calendar month (UTC)**, whatever day you subscribed. Unused tokens don't roll over to the next month.

## What happens when you run out

When your team has used its whole monthly allowance:

- **Your bots stop replying to new messages** until the allowance resets on the 1st, or you add more tokens.
- **In the website widget**, visitors see **No more chats available.**
- **On Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, Telegram and email**, the bot replies that it has reached its message token limit.
- **Through the API**, requests return an error explaining that the team has used all available message tokens.

Chat Thing emails team owners and admins when your team has used **80%**, **90%** and **100%** of its monthly message tokens, so you have time to act.

To keep your bots running:

- **Add tokens straight away** with a [message tokens add-on](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/add-ons) (5,000,000 tokens per unit, available on paid plans).
- **Upgrade your plan** from [**Billing**](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/billing#change-your-plan).
- **Enterprise only:** add your own OpenAI API key in the **OpenAI** section of your [**Account**](https://app.chatthing.ai/app/account) page. It's used only once your included tokens run out.

To stop one busy bot using up the whole team's allowance, set a daily token limit for it. See [Usage limits](https://chatthing.ai/docs/bot-settings/usage-limits).

## See your usage

- **Sidebar:** the **Storage tokens** and **Message tokens** bars at the bottom of the sidebar show how much of this month's allowance your team has used.
- **My Bots:** the **Message tokens this month** card shows tokens used against your limit.
- **Each bot's overview:** **Message tokens this month** shows that bot's usage, with a chart over time.

## Next steps

- [Compare plans](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/plans)
- [Buy a message tokens add-on](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/add-ons)
- [Choose a model for your bot](https://chatthing.ai/docs/bot-settings/models)

## Related

- [Storage tokens and how syncing uses them](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/storage-tokens): What storage tokens are, when syncing and re-syncing use them, what happens when you reach your monthly limit, and how to use fewer.
- [Add more tokens, bots or seats with add-ons](https://chatthing.ai/docs/account/add-ons): Raise one limit on your paid plan without upgrading - extra message tokens, storage tokens, bots, data sources, team members or custom domains.
- [Limit how many tokens your bot can use](https://chatthing.ai/docs/bot-settings/usage-limits): Cap a bot's daily message token use, get an email before it hits the cap, limit message length, and see what people see when a limit is reached.
- [Choose your bot's AI model](https://chatthing.ai/docs/bot-settings/models): See which AI models your bot can use, what each supports, how model choice affects message token use, and how to change it.