Your plan includes two separate monthly allowances: one for transcriptions, one for Asks. They don't share a pool — using an Ask never costs a transcription, and vice versa.
What uses a transcription unit
- Tapping Transcribe on a new note — one page, one unit.
- Tapping Try again after a failed transcription — it's a fresh read of the page, so it uses a new unit.
What doesn't: editing transcriptions, retrying a failed save (the transcription already succeeded), uploading a photo you never transcribe.
What uses an Ask unit
- Asking a question — one question, one unit, including all the planning and gathering behind it.
- Adding a Timeline node (including the automatic first node of a new Timeline) — a node is a full Ask under the hood, plus its title, all within the same single unit.
- Tapping Try again after an Ask fails mid-answer.
What doesn't: Save as Timeline on an answer you already have, retrying a node save, keyword search (always free and unlimited), reading, editing, starring, exporting.
The rolling 30-day window
Allowances don't reset on the 1st of the month or on your billing date. Each unit you use frees up exactly 30 days after you used it.
An example: on the Free plan (3 transcriptions), if you transcribe pages on July 1, July 5, and July 20, you're at the limit. Your next transcription becomes available on July 31 — 30 days after the July 1 use. The other two follow on August 4 and August 19.
This is gentler than a hard monthly reset (no "wasted" days after a binge), but it does mean the answer to "when can I transcribe again?" is: 30 days after the oldest use you're still carrying. The in-app notice tells you when you hit the limit.
At the limit
- Transcribing: the new-note page shows a notice with an upgrade link. Your photo isn't lost mid-flow — but the transcription won't run until a unit frees up or you upgrade.
- Asking: you'll get a clear limit message instead of an answer.
Upgrading takes effect immediately after payment — your new, larger window applies right away. See Plans & pricing.
Good to know
- Unused units never roll over or accumulate beyond your plan's allowance.
- There's no usage meter in the app yet — if you're close to the limit and planning a big session, count your recent usage or just try; the notice is graceful.