Reading the API Usage report, and what generation costs

API Usage shows cumulative tokens, calls and estimated cost since tracking began. It answers one question: what has RankReady spent on your behalf.

You are billed by the provider, not by RankReady

RankReady is bring-your-own-key. Your OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or DeepSeek key is used, and that provider bills you directly. RankReady never resells credits and never takes a cut. Generation is unlimited in the free plugin because there is nothing for us to meter.

What the numbers mean

• Calls: how many requests were sent to the provider.
• Tokens: roughly, how much text went in and came back. A token is about three-quarters of a word.
• Estimated cost: tokens multiplied by that model’s published rate. It is an estimate. The provider’s own dashboard is the authority, and it is the one that bills you.

Keeping it low

• Cheaper models cost dramatically less and are usually fine for a summary or an FAQ. Compare them on the AI Provider card.
• Generate on the pages that matter rather than the whole archive at once.
• Regenerate only after a real edit. Nothing changes if the content did not.

Where it lives

RankReady, Settings, API Keys, in the API Usage card at the foot of the screen. The counter runs from when tracking started, not from install.