How page usage is counted
What one page means
For the usage meter, one page is 450 tokens of AI-generated output. A response of about 225 output tokens uses about half a page. Usage can therefore show fractional pages, such as 1.58 remaining. The tokens in your prompt, assignment, and earlier chat are used as context but do not increase the page meter.
What consumes allowance
Generated drafts, chat answers, full-document revisions, retries, and scheduled output count when the AI produces them. Uploading files, writing in the editor yourself, and saving a checkpoint do not generate pages by themselves. Short answers generally use less allowance than a complete draft.
Page usage and AI memory are different
The page meter counts AI-generated output. The conversation memory indicator estimates the full context prepared for the next chat turn, including your assignment, saved draft, previous questions and answers, and unseen instructions and writing preferences. “17,000 / 20,000 memory remaining” means roughly 3,000 memory tokens are occupied by that combination; it does not mean 3,000 output tokens were generated. See Versions and AI memory for how the active conversation changes when memory fills.
Formatted output versus plain text
Formatted output usually uses about 30% more page allowance than plain text of similar length. The editor shows headings, paragraphs, lists, and emphasis as styling, but the AI also generates the HTML tags that describe that formatting. Those tags are part of the output counted by the meter even though you do not see them in the finished draft. The difference is an estimate; it varies with how much formatting the response contains.
Where to check it
The compact usage display near the top of the dashboard shows pages used, pages remaining, and the current allowance. Accounts without an active subscription have a free allowance, shown there too. Subscription usage is measured within the current billing period.
Requested draft length is different
The page range in project settings tells the AI roughly how long to make a complete draft. It is not a prepaid reservation or a guarantee that the output will use exactly that many metered pages. Actual generated output determines usage.