Does keyword research or rank tracking use AI credits?
No. Credits are only used for AI-powered actions. Keyword research, rank tracking, website audits, traffic analytics, topic clusters, competitor tracking, and editing articles by hand are all free, and are governed by plan limits instead.

What do the AI actions cost?
Generating an article costs about 100, 200, or 300 credits depending on the length band you choose. Each prompt response costs 15 credits, meaning one answer from one AI platform for one prompt on one refresh. Extra images are 5 credits, and stock searches are 2. See how AI credits work in practice for the full list.

How far do 500 credits go?
About 5 short articles, or 33 prompt responses, or any combination of the two.

Which is used first, my monthly credits or my extra credits?
Your monthly plan allowance is always spent first. Extra credits are only drawn on once the monthly pool is empty, so a top up you bought earlier is never wasted and never expires.

Do unused credits roll over?
Monthly plan credits do not roll over and reset on your billing date. Purchased extra credits do not expire at all.

Where can I see what used my credits?
In Settings -> Billing & Plans -> Usage History. It charts spend by category, itemises every charge with what triggered it, and exports to CSV. For ways to bring the number down, see how to optimize your AI credit usage.

Why do some plan tiers limit which AI models I can use?
Some AI models are significantly more expensive to run than others, but every model costs the same 15 credits per response. Tiering access is what keeps lower-tier plans feasible. We are exploring letting you choose any model regardless of tier.

Is there a word count limit on generated articles?
You pick from three length bands: Short (800 to 1,000 words), Medium (1,800 to 2,000) and Long (2,800 to 3,000). If you need something longer, generate a Long pillar page and extend it in the editor, which is free.

Can I tell the AI what to write?
Yes. Use Custom Instructions before generating to set the angle, audience, and anything to include or avoid, up to 2,000 characters. By default they apply alongside your Brand's content guidelines, and you can turn that off for a one-off piece. This is the cheapest way to get a usable draft first time, because it saves you a regeneration.

Does regenerating cost credits?
Yes, the full article cost again. Editing by hand is free, and Auto Optimize (a quarter of the cost) or auto content refresh (half) are usually the better middle ground.

Does SnowSEO create backlinks for my website?
Not today. SnowSEO helps you find them: analyse any domain's authority and backlink profile, see which sources AI platforms cite in your niche, and identify sites worth approaching. A dedicated Backlink Outreach module covering prospecting and personalised email sequences is in active development.

Which AI models are used to write articles?
A pipeline of specialised models: web-search-enabled reasoning models for research, a reasoning model for titles and outlines, a frontier writing model for the draft, fast mini models for iterations and autocomplete, and a dedicated image model. The exact models change as better ones become available, and your credit cost does not change when they do.

Can I publish articles on my own domain?
Yes. Every Brand gets a free SnowCMS address automatically, and you can connect your own domain or subdomain with a CNAME and a TXT record in Settings -> Content & CMS -> SnowCMS. Note that the in-app feed URL on snowseo.com is restricted to your team and is not a public link.

Do I need to enter seed keywords every time for topic clusters?
No. SnowSEO generates and updates topic clusters from your domain automatically. Keyword and prompt suggestions surface on their own without manual input each time.

What does the topic map show?
Your brand sits at the centre, with clusters orbiting outward through CORE, RELATED, and BROADER rings. Circles are keywords and triangles are prompts, colour coded as Uncovered, Opportunity, Planned, or Covered. Click any one to plan an article for it, and SnowSEO pairs it with a complementary target of the opposite kind so one article closes two gaps. See how topic clusters work.

Which AI platforms does SnowSEO track?
ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Grok, Meta AI, DeepSeek, Microsoft Copilot, Google AI Overviews, and Google AI Mode. Which ones you can enable depends on your plan: ChatGPT is on every plan, most others need Pro or above, and Claude and Perplexity need Scale. The picker in Settings -> Automation -> Prompt Tracking shows exactly what your account can turn on.

Does it capture Google AI Overview results?
Yes, both Google AI Overview and Google AI Mode, on Pro and Scale plans.

How often are prompts refreshed?
On your Brand's tracking frequency. Your plan sets the fastest option available: every 7 days on Starter, every 3 on Pro, and every day on Scale. You can always choose a slower one to spend fewer credits, which is the main lever on AI Visibility cost. Set it in Settings -> Automation -> Prompt Tracking, where a live estimate shows what your current setup will cost each week.

Can I refresh a prompt immediately?
Yes, any individual prompt, at any time. It charges 15 credits per enabled platform straight away.

Is BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) available?
Not yet, but it is planned. We will announce when it is available.

How many Google Search Console accounts can I connect per Brand?
One property per Brand. If you manage multiple sites, create a separate Brand for each and connect the matching property. SnowSEO can read up to 16 months of history, which is Google's own retention limit, and it is available as soon as you connect.

Why is the last day or two of my Search Console data missing?
Google publishes Search Console data one to three days behind. This is permanent Google behaviour, not a sync problem. Compare over 28 days rather than looking at yesterday.

Does SnowSEO work with any website builder?
Yes. Auditing, rank tracking, keyword research, and AI visibility work regardless of how your site is built, whether that is Webflow, Mobirise, WordPress, or custom. Direct one-click publishing requires a supported CMS integration.

Do I need to bring my own API key for AI features?
No. SnowSEO's AI features run on its own infrastructure. You do not need API keys for ChatGPT, Claude, or any other model.

My GSC property isn't showing up, what do I do?
Make sure you are signed in with a Google account that has at least Restricted access to that property, that the property is verified in Search Console, and that the domain matches exactly including www. Then disconnect and reconnect in Settings -> Integrations -> SEO & AI Tools. Full steps: connecting Google Search Console.

My WordPress connection keeps failing.
Usually a firewall or a stripped Authorization header. See WordPress connection troubleshooting.