Data Credits

What are data credits?

Data credits are the single currency that unifies how your team extracts data across every tool in the Similarweb platform. Most Similarweb subscriptions come with Data Credits built in, giving you access to a variety of tools including Data Exporter, our REST and Batch APIs, and MCP.

How do data credits work?

Every time you pull data from Similarweb — an API call, an MCP request, or a report download — credits are consumed based on the number of results you receive. Your Data Credits balance renews on the 1st of every month. 

Data Credits Management

The Data Credits Management page lets admins see exactly how many credits were used across the account and how many you have left, giving clear control over how much data the account consumes and who can consume it.

What’s new

We've redesigned the data credits management experience and made it more simple with a single place to see usage, set limits, and manage access.

1. One view for everything: Account usage, per-product breakdowns, and individual user activity now live on one page, alongside your limits and API keys, instead of being spread across several. The Overview shows your total balance, what's been used this month, and what remains, plus a personal card for your own usage and limit. The Usage by Product section breaks spend down across the Batch API, REST API & MCP, and Data Exporter, and each product expands to show usage in more detail.
   
    
2. One universal limit per user: Set a single monthly credit limit per user that applies across all data tools — no more separate allocations per product. Each user spends their limit however they need, across the REST API, Batch API, MCP, and Data Exporter. You can vary the limit by user, and set a default that applies automatically to anyone new who joins the account.
   
    
3. One key for all APIs: REST and Batch API keys and MCP access are now managed in one table, and a single key works across both the REST and Batch APIs. Non-admins can now create their own personal keys, and their usage still counts against the monthly limit you set — so you stay in control of spend while your team moves faster. Users only ever see their own keys.

How do I manage data credits?

Managing account-wide usage, user limits, and default limits requires account admin permissions. Any user can generate and manage their own API keys, and their usage counts toward the limit set for them. 

Applying a Data Credit Limit to Users

A user's monthly limit is universal — it applies to everything that user pulls, across the REST API, Batch API, MCP, and Data Exporter combined.

1. Go to Account Settings → Data Credits Management.
2. Select the Users tab. Each user row shows their department, total usage this month, and current limit.
3. Find the user (use the search box or the Department, Usage, or Limit filters to narrow the list), and click the edit (pencil) icon in the Limit column for that user.
4. In the Set/Edit User Limit dialog, enter the monthly credit limit in the Limit field.
5. Click Save. The limit now applies to that user across all data tools.

To remove a limit, open the same dialog and click Remove Limit — the user reverts to no limit.

Applying a Default Data Credit Limit to New Users

Set a default once and it's applied automatically to anyone who newly joins the account, so new team members can't consume credits without a cap in place.

1. Go to Account Settings → Data Credits Management and select the Users tab.
2. Click Set default limit (top right of the users table).
3. In the Set Default Limit dialog, enter the limit in the Limit field. As the dialog notes, this limit "will automatically apply to all new users joining the account."
4. Click Save.

This default applies only to users who join after it's set; it doesn't change or overwrite limits of existing users. You can still adjust any individual user's limit at any time using the steps above. To clear the default, reopen the dialog and click Remove Limit.

Creating and Managing API Keys

REST API keys, Batch API keys, and MCP access are all managed from one table, and a single key works across both the REST and Batch APIs. Admins can create keys for any user; non-admins can create their own personal keys. Everyone's usage counts toward the monthly limit set for them, and users only ever see their own keys.

To create a key:

1. Go to Account Settings → Data Credits Management and select the API Keys tab.
2. Click Generate New Key.
3. In the Generate New API Key dialog, enter a name in API Key Name (something recognizable, e.g. the project or environment it's for).
4. In Assign to user, choose who the key belongs to. (Admins can assign to any user; if you're a non-admin, the key is created for you.)
5. Click Generate Key. The new key appears in the table.

To manage keys: use the API Key column's copy icon to copy a key, the search box to find one by name, and the Key Status and filters to narrow the list. The table shows each key's name, owner and masked key.

1. An admin can transfer a key by clicking the pencil icon next to the relevant key and editing the Key Owner.
2. An admin can deactivate a key by switching the Activation Status toggle off. A user can only deactivate and reactivate their own keys.

FAQs

Q: What's the difference between the old per-product allocations and the new limits?
A: Previously you allocated separate credit pools to each tool and to each user per tool. Now there are no per-product allocations — you set one monthly limit per user that applies across the REST API, Batch API, MCP, and Data Exporter combined.

Q: Does a user's limit apply per product or across all products?
A: Across all products. A single monthly limit covers everything that user pulls, regardless of which data tool they use.

Q: What happens when a new user joins the account?
A: If you've set a default limit, it's applied to them automatically. If not, they join with no limit until you set one.

Q: Does setting a default limit change limits for my existing users?
A: No. The default applies only to users who join after it's set. Existing users keep whatever limit (or no limit) they currently have.

Q: Can non-admins create their own API keys?
A: Yes. Non-admin users can generate personal keys. Their usage still counts against the monthly limit set for them, and they can only see their own keys.

Q: Can other people see my API keys?
A: Users only ever see their own keys. Account admins can view keys across the team.

Q: Do I need separate keys for the REST API and the Batch API?
A: No. A single key works across both the REST and Batch APIs. MCP access is managed from the same table.

Q: What happens if a user reaches their monthly limit?
A: They can't consume additional credits until the limit is raised or credits renew on the 1st of the month. (Worth confirming the exact behavior with the product team before publishing.)

Q: When do credits reset?
A: Your Data Credits balance renews on the 1st of every month.