Credits explained
SERPTool bills in credits rather than "requests" or "seats". This page explains exactly what costs what.
What each action costs
| Action | Cost (credits) | Notes | |---|---|---| | Setup fee per analysis | 10 | One-off per analysis, regardless of keyword count | | Keyword analyzed | 1 | Charged per successfully processed keyword | | AI Mentions lookup | 40 | On-demand button on the keyword detail page | | Domain discovery (DOMAIN mode) | 1 per keyword returned | You set a hard cap before the run | | Competitor gap (COMPETITOR mode) | 1 per keyword returned | Same capped behavior |
Worked example: running a KEYWORD analysis with 250 seed keywords costs 10 + 250 = 260 credits. No AI Mentions unless you click the button on a specific keyword.
How the setup fee works
The setup fee isn't arbitrary — it covers the flat per-task fees we pay DataForSEO for each analysis (SERP API, Labs API, keyword-difficulty batches, etc.). Those costs don't scale with keyword count, so a 5-keyword run would be unprofitable at 1 credit per keyword.
The upshot: small runs are less cost-efficient than large ones. A single 500-keyword run (10 + 500 = 510) is cheaper per keyword than five separate 100-keyword runs (5 × (10 + 100) = 550). If you're exploring seed lists, dump them all into one analysis.
Two credit buckets: Subscription vs Pack
When you subscribe to a monthly plan, credits land in the Subscription bucket and expire at the end of each billing period. When you buy a one-off credit pack (or receive an admin grant), they land in the Pack bucket and never expire.
Every debit draws from the Subscription bucket first, then Pack. That way unused subscription credits that would have expired anyway get burned before your paid pack credits. The credit history on your profile shows which bucket each debit came from.
Free demo never charges credits
The pre-seeded demo analysis on your first dashboard is fake (hand-crafted sample data, no DataForSEO calls). The AI Mentions button is disabled on it so you can't accidentally spend credits exploring. Your real balance isn't touched until you submit your first live analysis.
What happens if an analysis fails mid-run
Each keyword is charged only when it completes successfully. If a keyword fails (bad input, API timeout, etc.) the credit stays in your balance. The setup fee is still taken at the start of the run — that's covering DataForSEO's flat fees which we pay whether you get one keyword back or a thousand.
Cancelling a running analysis stops the worker from picking up new keywords; you keep the credits for keywords that hadn't started yet.
Top-ups and subscriptions
- Credit packs — one-off top-ups (500 / 2,000 / 10,000). Pack credits never expire.
- Starter / Professional / Enterprise plans — monthly allowances that reset on renewal. Choose annual for roughly 2 months free.
Buy either from the pricing section of the landing page. Payments run through Stripe's hosted checkout — we never see your card details.
Running out mid-flow
If you try to start an analysis that would exceed your balance, SERPTool blocks the submit and shows you exactly how many credits short you are. Same for AI Mentions: the panel stays visible but the button reads "Need 40 credits" and links to the pricing page.