How usage is counted
APIContext measures usage in tests. Knowing what counts as one test lets you estimate usage before you add monitors or change a schedule, and explains why a change to frequency changes your usage. How many tests your subscription includes is on the pricing page; this page explains how they are counted.
How it works
One test is one element that the platform tests. Each time a monitor runs from a node and its result is saved, that result counts as one test.
How that works out for each kind of monitor:
| What runs | Tests |
|---|---|
| An API monitor | One test each time it runs from a node |
| A workflow | One test for each step that runs. A step that does not run (for example after the workflow stops on a failure) adds nothing |
| A browser monitor | One test for each step it runs |
| An MCP monitor | One test for each time it runs from a node |
| A retry from Retry on failure | One more test for each retry |
| A conformance validation | One test for each conformance element validated |
A worked estimate
Usage grows with three numbers: how many monitors (or workflow steps) a schedule runs, and how often it runs. Each time a schedule fires, it runs every monitor on it once, from one node, so each monitor stores one result per run.
A day has 1,440 minutes, so a schedule that runs every 5 minutes fires 288 times a day. Put 4 API monitors on it:
4 monitors x 288 runs a day = 1,152 tests a day, about 34,560 in a 30-day month.
Add a 3-step workflow to the same schedule, and each run adds 3 more tests:
(4 + 3) x 288 = 2,016 tests a day.
Where to see it
Two screens show usage in the product:
- Schedules (open it in the platform) lists Est. quota usage per day for each schedule: the number of scheduled monitors, counting each workflow step, times the runs per day. It does not include retries or runs you start yourself.
- Organization Settings shows Monthly Request Quota Used: usage so far this month, predicted usage for the month, and when the count resets. See Organizations.
Next steps
- Schedules: how frequency and node selection work.
- Setting and managing schedules: change how often monitors run.
- Alerts and Webhooks: how Retry on failure works.
- Pricing: what each subscription includes.