Message Limits

Explain Like I'm Five

Think of messages like cups of water from a big jug. Each day, you get a jug with a certain number of cups.

When you chat with the AI, you pour some water. A short question? Just a tiny splash. A long conversation with a big document? That's like pouring several cups at once.

The longer your chat gets, the more water each new message needs — because the AI has to "remember" everything you've talked about so far.

Starting a new chat is like getting a fresh cup — you only pay for what's in that cup, not the whole conversation before it.

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What is a "Message"?

One "message" from your daily allocation equals 16,000 tokens (~12,000 words).

A token is a small piece of text, roughly 4 characters or ¾ of a word.

How Usage is Calculated

Usage is based on the total context of an interaction:

1. Your new prompt
2. All previous messages in that chat (both yours and the AI's)
3. Any uploaded documents in that chat
4. The AI's response

Minimum Usage Rule

Every interaction consumes at least 1 message, regardless of size.

• Less than 16,000 tokens = 1 message
• 25,000 tokens = 2 messages
• 48,000 tokens = 3 messages

Example

Short chat: You ask "What's the capital of France?" — consumes 1 message (minimum).

Long chat with file: 20 exchanges + 10-page report (20,000 tokens) + conversation history (5,000 tokens) = 25,000 tokens total = 2 messages for that single prompt.

Tips for Effective Usage

• Start new chats frequently — resets conversation history
• Break up large documents — paste only the sections you need
• Be mindful of conversation length — long chats cost more per prompt

Unlimited Usage Options

Bring Your Own Key (BYOK): Connect your OpenRouter API key in Settings to bypass message limits. You'll be billed directly by OpenRouter.

Enterprise Plan: Custom limits for teams. Contact hello@writingmate.ai