> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://braintrust.dev/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Monitor usage
> Track usage and set up cost alerts
Track your Braintrust usage and costs throughout the billing period. The Billing page shows your current plan and projected on-demand usage at a glance, and Pro/Enterprise customers can access detailed reports in the Orb usage portal.
## View usage
1. Go to ** Settings** > [** Billing**](https://www.braintrust.dev/app/~/configuration/org/billing).
2. Under **On-demand usage**, review the projected upcoming invoice broken down by Logs and Scores, along with the date the cycle resets.
3. Scroll down to review usage charts for the current month or a custom date range (up to 100 days).
* Daily and cumulative logs usage (GB)
* Daily and cumulative scores usage
* Daily and cumulative Topics input and output tokens (when [Topics](/observe/topics) is enabled)
4. For detailed usage analytics, click **Detailed usage breakdown** under **On-demand usage**. This opens the Orb portal, where you can:
* View detailed breakdowns of trace spans, processed data, scores, Topics tokens, and retention storage
* Download usage reports for internal tracking or accounting
* Monitor costs and billing cycles
* Compare usage across multiple billing periods
## Understanding usage metrics
Your Braintrust usage is measured across four dimensions. Each contributes to your monthly costs if your usage grows beyond your plan's included limits.
See [Plans and limits](/plans-and-limits#usage-limits) for included limits and on-demand usage rates by plan, and [Topics usage](/plans-and-limits#topics-usage) for the Topics monthly credit and overage rates.
### Processed data
Processed data refers to the total bytes of data ingested by Braintrust when you create logs or experiments. This includes:
* Inputs and outputs
* Prompts and completions
* Metadata and tags
* Traces and spans
* Datasets
* Attachments (images, audio, files)
* Any other related information
**How it's measured**: Braintrust measures the size of each log, experiment, and dataset record when you send it and adds it to your total for that calendar month, which is invoiced at the end of the month. On Enterprise plans, monthly usage draws down from your committed volume.
Processed data is measured at ingestion, based on what you send, not on what's currently stored. Deleting data or shortening your [retention window](/admin/data-management/retention) doesn't reduce your processed data usage for the month. [Retention storage](#retention-storage), a separate charge on Pro and Enterprise plans, is measured the same way, so deletion and shorter windows don't reduce it either.
### Scores
Scores are used to measure the results of offline or online evaluations run in Braintrust. Each time you record a score, it counts toward your monthly usage.
Examples of scored operations:
* Offline evaluation scores from experiments
* Online evaluation scores from production logs
* Human review scores
* Custom scorer outputs
**How it's counted**: Each score recorded (whether automatic or manual) increments your monthly score count by one.
### Topics tokens
[Topics](/observe/topics) is metered in input and output tokens consumed by the daily Topics pipeline (facet summarization, embedding, and cluster naming). Each plan includes a [monthly Topics credit](/plans-and-limits#topics-usage) that covers a portion of token usage at no extra cost. Once the credit is used up, uniform [overage rates](/plans-and-limits#topics-usage) apply across all plans.
**How it's measured**: Input and output tokens are summed daily across all Topics pipeline calls and counted toward your monthly Topics credit. The credit does not roll over to the next month.
On the Starter plan, if you exhaust your monthly Topics credit and haven't [enabled on-demand usage](/admin/billing/change-plan#enable-on-demand-usage), Topics is paused for the rest of the billing cycle. Add a card to continue running Topics at the [overage rates](/plans-and-limits#topics-usage), or wait for the next monthly cycle.
Through July 31, 2026, [GLM-5.2](/admin/ai-providers#glm-5-2) usage also draws from your monthly credit and appears under **Native inference** in your usage breakdown.
### Retention storage
On the Pro plan, retaining data beyond [30-day retention](/plans-and-limits#usage-limits) incurs a retention storage charge. Like processed data, retention storage is measured at ingestion: it bills the data you ingest into each month you keep beyond the base window, not what's currently stored. This covers logs and playground data, including each row's [activity history](/observe/examine-traces#view-activity-history). Experiments are never deleted by your retention window and have up to 365-day retention on all plans, but the data you ingest into them still counts toward retention storage. On Enterprise plans, retention beyond your base window is arranged with your account team.
To keep data longer, [extend your retention window](/admin/data-management/retention#extend-the-retention-window). Because retention storage is measured at ingestion, deleting data, setting a [retention automation](/admin/data-management/retention#automate-data-deletion), or shortening your window doesn't reduce it. The only way to lower retention storage is to ingest less.
**How it's measured**: Braintrust measures the size of your retained data daily and bills the highest daily amount during the billing month. See [Plans and limits](/plans-and-limits#usage-limits) and the [Pricing page](https://www.braintrust.dev/pricing) for rates.
## Set up spend alerts
Spend alerts are available for plans with [on-demand usage](/admin/billing/change-plan#enable-on-demand-usage) (Starter and Pro).
Receive a notification when your total invoice amount reaches a threshold in the current billing cycle. You can set up to three spending thresholds and choose to notify via **Billing email**, a **Slack channel**, or both.
1. Go to ** Settings** > [** Billing**](https://www.braintrust.dev/app/~/configuration/org/billing).
2. Click ** Spend alerts**.
3. Set your spending thresholds.
4. Under **Notify via**, select **Billing email**, **Slack channel**, or both.
* To notify a Slack channel, [enable the Slack integration](/admin/organizations#enable-slack-integration) first, then select a workspace and channel.
5. Click **Save**.
Spend alerts are informational-only and do not interrupt or limit your usage. You can update or disable alerts at any time.
Spend alerts are distinct from Topics credit notifications. Braintrust emails you automatically when you've consumed 60% and 100% of your [monthly Topics credit](/plans-and-limits#topics-usage). These notifications are sent automatically and aren't configurable, whereas spend alerts track your total invoice amount against thresholds you set.
## Next steps
* [Set up alerts](/observe/alerts) — Learn more about creating and managing alerts
* [Configure data retention](/admin/data-management/retention) — Configure retention policies to control costs
* [Plans and limits](/plans-and-limits) — Review your plan limits and features
* [Billing FAQ](/admin/billing/faq) — Common questions about billing and usage
* [Write SQL filters](/observe/alerts#common-alert-patterns) — Advanced SQL patterns for alert conditions