Automations use compute you buy, instead of a fixed monthly fee. This powers the parts of Automations that use AI models. The Balance & Usage section of your Todoist Automations account shows what you have left, where it’s spent, and every top-up you’ve made, so you can top up before your balance runs out.
Check your balance and usage
Here’s how to check your Automations balance:
- Click your avatar at the bottom-left.
- Select Settings.
- Click Balance & Usage.
You’ll see three sections on this page:
Balance
How much compute you have left sits at the top of the page and next to two buttons. Go to billing opens your payment details, and Top Up takes you straight to adding more.
On your payment details page, you can add or change a payment method, update your billing information, and review your invoice history.
If you haven’t topped up yet, you’ll see Top up to get started instead of an amount. The other two sections, Usage and Transactions, stay hidden until your first top-up.
Usage
The Usage section shows a breakdown of what you’ve spent this month, the date range, and your running total. A bar splits the total across two categories:
| Category | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Messages | Chat messages to create, edit, or ask about automations |
| Automation runs | Automations running on a schedule or a trigger, that use AI |
Each category shows the amount spent, how many messages or runs you used, and the average cost per message or run. A month with no spend lists both categories at zero.
Transactions
The Transactions section shows an itemized, dated log of your top-ups and other balance adjustments, like a refund or a correction. You’ll see the most recent transactions listed at the top. Select See more to load older entries.
Each entry shows a label, the date, and the amount:
- Compute you add is labelled Top up.
- Compute that Todoist adds or removes, such as a refund or a correction, is labelled with the reason for it. If no reason is recorded, it’s labelled Balance adjustment.
Top up your compute
If your Automations balance is low, here’s how to top up:
- Click your avatar at the bottom-left.
- Click Top up account. You’ll see how much compute you have left.
- Choose $5, $10, or $20. To enter a different amount, select Other and enter the amount. The minimum is $5.
- Click Continue to Checkout. If you’re using Todoist Automations as an installed app, checkout opens in a new browser tab. If you’re using the web app, it opens in the same tab.
- Sign in to your Link account or select Pay without Link.
- Enter your payment details and select Pay. Skip this step if you signed in with Link.
Each preset shows roughly what it covers:
| Amount | What it typically covers |
|---|---|
| $5 | Light usage, a few chat sessions, and ongoing automation runs |
| $10 | A more comfortable amount, usually enough for 4-5 ongoing automations on a daily basis |
| $20 | A substantial refill, enough for 10-15 automations on an ongoing basis |
These are estimates, and what you actually get depends on the automations you run. Applicable sales tax is added at checkout.
Get low balance alerts
If your compute balance is low, or if it’s no longer enough to cover an automation run, you’ll see a low balance alert.
Email is always turned on for payment notifications. Push is optional. To turn push notifications on or off, go to Settings > Notifications and use the Push toggle under Low balance alerts.
You’ll also see these alerts in the app before anything stops:
- The sidebar shows Your automations will pause with a Top up button. You can Dismiss it or, once your automations have already stopped, it reads Your automations are paused.
- Your account menu shows your remaining balance with a LOW badge next to it.
- Above the chat box, a notice shows how much you have left with a Top up link.
Handle skipped runs
When an automation tries to run, and your balance won’t cover it, the run is skipped and gets a neutral Skipped badge in your run history. It didn’t fail, and you won’t see any failures in the run history. You won’t see a Repair button or step details because nothing actually ran.
The most recent skipped run tells you what to do next:
- If your balance still won’t cover a run, the card says so and offers a Top up button.
- Once you’ve topped up, the same card updates to say you have sufficient funds and the next scheduled run will go ahead. A Run now button appears if you’d rather not wait for it.
While an automation is paused this way, its page shows a Paused until you top up banner with a Top up link.
Get in touch
Ready to see where your compute is going? Open Settings > Balance & Usage for your monthly breakdown, or Top Up to add more and keep your automations running. If you’re seeing discrepancies with your Automations balance, or you’re having trouble topping up your account, get in touch with us.