Usage and cost ceilings
Because you use your own key, you pay your AI provider directly. The plugin records usage for each request so you can see where the money goes.
Usage and cost screen
AI Blog Writer → Usage and cost shows the provider connection state, the funding source (your own key) and the estimated site cost for the current month. Each finished job also shows its own usage.
How cost is estimated
In Settings, Input cost / 1M units (USD) and Output cost / 1M units (USD) hold your model’s per-million-token prices. The plugin multiplies them by the usage the provider reports. Set them from your provider’s current price list. The result is an estimate, and your provider’s invoice is the final figure.
Cost ceilings
Under Cost, privacy, and advanced controls:
- Monthly cost ceiling (USD): a limit for the whole site.
- Per-user monthly ceiling (USD): a limit for each user’s jobs.
A value of 0 means no ceiling. Before each paid stage, the plugin checks whether that stage would push the month over a ceiling. If it would, the job stops with cost_limit_reached: “Monthly cost ceiling would be exceeded. Raise the limit or wait until next month.”
Ceilings are a guardrail inside WordPress. Also set a spending limit in your provider’s dashboard.