[Core Features & Tools] AI Credits Usage, Balance & FAQ

[Core Features & Tools] AI Credits: Usage, Balance & FAQ

AI Credits: Usage, Balance & FAQ

Understanding how AI credits work, what affects consumption, and how to monitor your balance ensures you get maximum value from Link Whisper's AI features. This comprehensive guide covers credit usage mechanics, cost optimization, troubleshooting, and frequently asked questions.

What Are AI Credits?

AI Credits are the currency that powers Link Whisper's AI features.

How Credits Work:

Purchase: Buy credit packages from LinkWhisper.com/ai-plans

Consumption: Credits are spent when AI analyzes your content

Balance: Tracked in your account, visible in AI Settings

Scope: Account-wide (use across all sites on your license)

What Credits Enable:

🤖 Semantic Link Suggestions: AI-powered content understanding

🤖 Link Relation Score: Relevance percentage (0-100%)

🤖 Keyword Analysis: AI-identified topics and keywords

🤖 Product Detection: Identifies products mentioned in content

🤖 Advanced Matching: Finds connections beyond keyword matching

How AI Credits Are Consumed

Credits are consumed when Link Whisper sends data to the AI engine to analyze your content.

Credit Consumption Events:

1. Relation Analysis

What It Does: Scans your content to determine which posts are topically related to others

When It Happens:

Initial AI processing ("Begin Processing Data")

When new posts are published (if auto-processing enabled)

Manual re-processing of specific posts

Credit Cost: Moderate to High (depends on content length and site size)

Example:

A 1,000-word post analyzed for relationships = ~5-10 credits (with GPT-4o Mini)

2. Keyword Analysis

What It Does: AI generates target keywords for your posts to improve suggestion accuracy

When It Happens:

When "Keyword Analysis" feature is enabled in AI Settings

During initial processing

When analyzing new posts

Credit Cost: Moderate

Can Be Disabled: Yes, in AI Settings to save credits

3. Product Detection

What It Does: Scans for product mentions (useful for affiliate sites)

When It Happens:

When "Product Detection" feature is enabled

During content analysis

Credit Cost: Moderate

Can Be Disabled: Yes, disable if you don't need product detection

4. AI-Powered Suggestions (Enhanced Mode)

What It Does: Scores individual sentences for relevance rather than just whole posts

When It Happens:

When "AI Powered Suggestions" is enabled in settings

Every time you view link suggestions for a post

Credit Cost: High (processes each suggestion individually)

Note: This consumes more credits because it analyzes at sentence level, not just post level.

Recommendation: Only enable if you need highest-quality suggestions. Most users don't need this.

Credit Consumption Formula:

Total Credits Used = (Number of Posts × Average Words) ÷ Model Efficiency × Features Enabled

Factors:

Number of Posts: More posts = more credits

Average Word Count: Longer posts = more credits

Model Choice: GPT-4o Mini uses 10-12x fewer credits than GPT-4o

Features Enabled: More features = more credits

Checking Your Credit Balance

Monitor your remaining credits to avoid running out mid-processing.

For Link Whisper AI Users:

Credits are account-level, not site-specific.

Method 1: In WordPress AI Settings

Go to Link Whisper → Settings → AI Settings

Your credit balance displays at the top

Example: "9,750 credits remaining"

Method 2: Account Dashboard

Log into LinkWhisper.com/my-account

Navigate to AI Credits section

View:
- Current balance
- Purchase history
- Usage history

What You'll See:

✅ Total credits purchased

✅ Credits used

✅ Credits remaining

✅ Usage breakdown (by site, if using multiple sites)

For OpenAI (Custom Key) Users:

If using your own OpenAI API key, Link Whisper does not track your usage.

How to Check:

Log into platform.openai.com

Go to Billing → Usage

View:
- Current month's usage
- Cost breakdown by model
- Usage over time

Note: OpenAI charges you directly based on token usage, not credits.

Typical Costs (OpenAI Direct):

GPT-4o Mini: ~$0.15-0.30 per 1M tokens

GPT-4o: ~$2.50-5.00 per 1M tokens

1,000-word post ≈ 1,500 tokens

Estimate: Processing 1,000 posts (1,000 words each) = ~$0.23-0.45 with Mini or ~$3.75-7.50 with GPT-4o

Credit Usage & Cost Factors

Understanding what affects credit consumption helps you optimize usage.

Factor 1: Content Length

Longer content consumes more credits because more text needs to be analyzed.

Credit Consumption by Post Length:

Short posts (300-500 words): ~2-5 credits (GPT-4o Mini)

Medium posts (1,000-1,500 words): ~5-10 credits

Long posts (2,000-3,000 words): ~10-20 credits

Very long posts (5,000+ words): ~25-50 credits

Example:

You have 10,000 credits and 1,000 posts averaging 1,500 words each.

With GPT-4o Mini: ~7.5 credits/post = can process ~1,330 posts

With GPT-4o: ~90 credits/post = can process ~111 posts

Factor 2: Model Selection

The AI model you choose dramatically affects credit consumption.

GPT-4o Mini (Recommended):

✅ 10-12x cheaper than full GPT-4o

✅ Fast processing

✅ 90-95% accuracy of full model

✅ Best for most users

GPT-4o (Full Model):

❌ 10-12x more expensive

❌ Slower processing

✅ Highest possible quality

❌ Only needed for very specific use cases

Cost Comparison:

1,000 credits with GPT-4o Mini = ~200 posts processed

1,000 credits with GPT-4o = ~15-20 posts processed

Recommendation: Use GPT-4o Mini unless you have very specific quality needs.

Factor 3: Features Enabled

Each AI feature adds to credit consumption.

Credit Impact by Feature:

Semantic Link Suggestions: Moderate (core feature, always enabled)

Link Relation Score: Low (minimal additional cost)

Keyword Analysis: +30-40% credit usage

Product Detection: +20-30% credit usage

AI Powered Suggestions (sentence-level): +50-100% credit usage

Optimization Strategy:

Maximum Credit Conservation:

✅ Semantic Link Suggestions: ON

✅ Link Relation Score: ON

❌ Keyword Analysis: OFF

❌ Product Detection: OFF

❌ AI Powered Suggestions: OFF

Balanced Approach:

✅ Semantic Link Suggestions: ON

✅ Link Relation Score: ON

✅ Keyword Analysis: ON

❌ Product Detection: OFF (unless affiliate site)

❌ AI Powered Suggestions: OFF

Full Features:

✅ All features: ON

Factor 4: Site Size

Estimated Costs for Full Site Processing

Based on typical Link Whisper AI credit packages:

Site with ~1,000 posts (1,000 words average):

With GPT-4o Mini: ~10,000-15,000 credits = ~$30-50 (2-3 credit packages)

With GPT-4o: ~120,000-180,000 credits = ~$360-540 (12-18 packages)

Site with ~5,000 posts (1,500 words average):

With GPT-4o Mini: ~75,000-100,000 credits = ~$225-300

With GPT-4o: ~900,000-1,200,000 credits = ~$2,700-3,600

Clear Winner: GPT-4o Mini provides excellent quality at 1/10th the cost.

Credit Usage Optimization Strategies

Maximize your credit value with these proven strategies.

Strategy 1: Always Use GPT-4o Mini

Unless you have very specific quality needs, use GPT-4o Mini.

Impact: Credits last 10-12x longer

Quality Trade-off: Minimal (90-95% as accurate)

Strategy 2: Disable Unnecessary Features

Go to AI Settings and disable features you don't need:

If you're NOT an affiliate marketer: Disable Product Detection

If you don't need keyword insights: Disable Keyword Analysis

If standard suggestions are good enough: Disable AI Powered Suggestions

Impact: Save 30-100% of credits

Strategy 3: Process Selectively

Don't process your entire site if you have limited credits.

Prioritize:

🎯 Top 100 posts by traffic (Google Analytics)

🎯 Cornerstone content (pillar posts, guides)

🎯 Revenue-generating pages (affiliate reviews, product pages)

🎯 Recent content (last 6 months)

Skip:

⏭️ Very old posts (2+ years, low traffic)

⏭️ Administrative pages (login, thank you, unsubscribe)

⏭️ Low-quality content (thin content, duplicate)

Impact: Process 20-30% of posts, save 70-80% of credits

Strategy 4: Batch Processing Over Time

Spread processing across multiple months:

Month 1: Process top 200 posts

Month 2: Process next 200 posts

Month 3: Process remaining posts

Benefit: Smaller credit packages, manageable costs

Strategy 5: Monitor Usage Regularly

Check credit balance weekly to avoid surprises:

Go to AI Settings

Note current balance

Track how many posts processed

Calculate credits per post

Adjust settings if usage too high

Credits Not Updating? Troubleshooting

If you purchased credits but the plugin shows "0 credits" or "Connect AI," follow this reset sequence.

Common Causes:

⚠️ Old OpenAI API key still in settings

⚠️ Not connected to Link Whisper AI

⚠️ Wrong email used for purchase vs. connection

⚠️ Processing not triggered (credits don't sync until "Begin Processing Data" clicked)

Step-by-Step Fix:

Step 1: Remove Old API Keys

Go to Link Whisper → Settings → AI Settings

Find the "OpenAI API Key" field

Delete any text in it (clear completely)

Click "Save Changes"

Why This Matters: If an API key is present, Link Whisper uses your personal OpenAI account instead of Link Whisper AI credits.

Step 2: Select Link Whisper AI as Provider

Find the "Provider" dropdown

Select "Link Whisper AI" (not "OpenAI" or "Custom")

Click "Save Changes"

Step 3: Connect Your Account

Click the "Connect" or "Connect to Link Whisper AI" button

A popup or redirect appears

Log in with the same email you used to purchase credits

Grant authorization

Critical: Email must match!

Purchased with: john@example.com

Must connect with: john@example.com

Step 4: Begin Processing Data (CRITICAL)

After connecting, you must click "Begin Processing Data".

Why: Your credit balance and AI features will not update until this is triggered.

What Happens:

Connects to AI server

Syncs credit balance

Initiates initial site scan

Activates AI features

Wait for Processing:

Depending on site size:

Small (< 100 posts): 5-10 minutes

Medium (100-500 posts): 15-30 minutes

Large (500+ posts): 30-60 minutes or more

Step 5: Verify Balance Appears

After processing completes, refresh AI Settings page.

You should see:

✅ Credit balance (e.g., "10,000 credits remaining")

✅ "Connected" status

✅ AI features active

Still Not Working?

Contact Support:

Email: support@linkwhisper.com

Subject: "AI Credits Not Appearing"

Include:

Email used for purchase

Transaction ID (from confirmation email)

Screenshots of:
- Purchase confirmation
- AI Settings page showing 0 credits

Response Time: Usually within 24 hours

Do Credits Expire?

Understanding expiration policies helps you plan credit purchases.

Link Whisper AI Credits:

Typical Policy: Credits do NOT expire

What This Means:

✅ Buy when convenient

✅ Use at your own pace

✅ No pressure to process immediately

✅ Credits remain indefinitely

Example:

You buy 10,000 credits in January.

You use 3,000 credits in January.

You use 2,000 credits in June.

You still have 5,000 credits remaining - no expiration.

Verify Current Policy: Check LinkWhisper.com/ai-plans for any updated terms.

OpenAI Direct (Custom API Key):

If using your own OpenAI API key:

Billing: Monthly usage billed by OpenAI

Expiration: N/A (pay-as-you-go, no pre-purchased credits)

Adding More Credits

When your balance runs low, purchase additional credits.

How to Buy More:

Go to LinkWhisper.com/ai-plans

Select a credit package

Complete checkout

Credits automatically added to your balance

Balance Updates:

Current Balance: 500 credits

Purchase: 5,000 credit package

New Balance: 5,500 credits (cumulative)

When to Buy More:

Recommendation: Purchase more credits when you have ~20% remaining.

Example:

Starting Balance: 10,000 credits

Buy More At: 2,000 credits remaining

Why: Ensures you don't run out mid-processing

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do credits work across multiple WordPress sites?

A: Yes! Credits are account-level, not site-specific. If you have a 5-Site License or 10-Site License, you can use your credits on any or all of those sites. The balance is shared across your entire account.

Q: Can I transfer credits to another user?

A: No. Credits are tied to your account and cannot be transferred or gifted.

Q: What happens when I run out of credits?

A: AI features stop working until you purchase more credits. Standard features (keyword-based suggestions, reports, broken link detection) continue to work normally.

Q: Can I get a refund for unused credits?

A: Check Link Whisper's refund policy. Typically, unused credits purchased recently may be eligible for refund if requested within a short window (e.g., 30 days).

Q: Is there a subscription option for credits?

A: Currently, credits are sold as one-time purchases ("On-Demand" packages). There is no monthly subscription for credits.

Q: How do I cancel my credits?

A: You don't need to cancel credits. Since they're one-time purchases with no recurring charges, simply don't buy more when you run out.

Q: Can I use both Link Whisper AI credits AND my own OpenAI API key?

A: Not simultaneously. You must choose one provider in settings. You can switch between them, but only one can be active at a time.

Q: Which is cheaper - Link Whisper credits or personal OpenAI API?

A: For small to medium usage (< 1,000 posts), Link Whisper credits are usually more convenient and comparably priced. For very high volume (thousands of posts monthly), a personal OpenAI API subscription might be cheaper. Compare based on your specific usage.

Q: Do I need credits for every Link Whisper feature?

A: No! Credits are only needed for AI-powered features. These work without credits:

✅ Keyword-based link suggestions

✅ One-click link insertion

✅ Reports (Links, Orphan, Domains, Broken)

✅ URL Changer

✅ Auto-Linking (keyword rules)

Q: Can I see exactly how many credits each feature uses?

A: Link Whisper doesn't provide per-feature credit breakdowns. However, you can estimate by enabling/disabling features and monitoring balance changes.

Q: What if I accidentally waste credits?

A: Credits cannot be refunded once consumed. Be intentional about which features you enable and which posts you process.

Q: Can I pause AI features to conserve credits?

A: Yes! Simply disconnect the AI provider in AI Settings. Your unused credits remain in your account. When ready to use AI again, reconnect and credits will still be available.

Q: How accurate is the credit usage estimate?

A: Estimates vary based on content complexity, post length, and features enabled. Actual usage may be ±20% of estimates. Monitor your balance for accurate tracking.

Need Help?

For questions about AI credits:

Email: support@linkwhisper.com

Subject: "AI Credits Question"

Include:

Specific question

Account email

Current credit balance (if relevant)

Response Time: Usually within 24 hours

Maximize your AI credit value with smart usage strategies!