Not enough credits
Every paid action checks your balance before it runs and is refused if the balance is below its price — even a balance that isn't literally zero can be too low for a specific action. When that happens, the Purchase Credits window opens and tells you how much the action needs and what your balance is ("This needs … credits; your balance is …"), or simply "You don't have enough credits for this operation. Please purchase more credits." In a workspace, the balance that counts is always the workspace owner's.
Where you may see it and what to do#
| Where you see it | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Person Search (Personensuche) | "Not enough credits for this search." — and the Purchase Credits window opens. | Top up, then search again. |
| Segment Search, Markets, profile add-ons, AI commands | The Purchase Credits window opens with what the action needs and your balance. | Top up in the window, then run the action again. |
| Inbox (Eingang) → Recognize contacts | "Not enough credits for recognition." — on an entry not yet recognized, the Recognize contacts button is replaced by a Top up credits button; on an already-recognized entry, Recognize again just shows the message. | Click Top up credits where it appears, or top up from your balance in the left navigation, then click Recognize again. |
| New list → file or connected-tool import | The Purchase Credits window opens before the import starts. A file import needs the import price; a connected tool needs the price of its first request, and every further request is checked as it is made. | Top up, then start the import again. |
| New list → LinkedIn import | An amber cost box showing the estimated cost, with a Buy Credits button; the Create List & Start Import button stays disabled. | Click Buy Credits in the box, then start the import. |
| Enrich menu / analytics panel / selection bar | The run does not start when the balance cannot pay for its first lookup; the Purchase Credits window opens. | Top up, then start it again. |
| AI Research (KI-Recherche) | Needs at least 1 credit to start; if it runs out mid-run, the run stops itself and the Purchase Credits window opens. | Top up, then click Resume on the stopped run to keep searching, or start a new research. |
| API / agent connections | An HTTP error response instead of a UI message (see "For AI agents / API" below) | Top up the account, or check the balance first. |
In a workspace you don't own#
Everything in the workspace is paid from the owner's balance, and only the owner can buy credits for it. Wherever the table above says the Purchase Credits window opens, members see "Balance empty – please ask … to top up" (with the owner's name) and a Got it button instead. Let the owner know, then run the action again once they have topped up. See "Credits, plan and limits in a workspace".
When credits run out in the middle of something#
- Enrichment runs (the Enrich menu, analytics panel buttons, the selection bar) start as long as the balance pays for the first lookup, then check it again before every group of lookups. If it no longer covers the next group (for example because teammates in the same workspace spent credits meanwhile), the run stops with a note that credits ran out — everything found so far stays in the list, and the rows not yet looked up are not charged. After a top-up, click Continue in the run's task card and it goes on where it stopped.
- AI Research is billed step by step as it works. If your balance runs out during a run, it uses what's left, stops the run and opens the Purchase Credits window — everything it already found stays in the run. After topping up, click Resume to keep searching.
- Connected tools (import, reload, sync back, Google Sheets export) are charged per request; a run that runs out of credits stops at its next request. An automatic refresh that finds no credits skips its turn and resumes by itself after a top-up.
- A LinkedIn import checks the full estimated amount before it starts, takes its base fee at the start and the per-person part when the people arrive — see "Price list: what every action costs".
What to do#
- Buy credits — see "How do I buy credits?" for the packs and how checkout works.
- Reduce the selection — enriching or importing fewer rows at once lowers the cost below your balance.
- Pick a cheaper option — for enrichment, a cheaper provider or a narrower add-on may cost less than the one that was blocked.
For AI agents / API#
A per-list REST API connection returns an HTTP 402 error with a JSON body
describing the shortfall, for example "Insufficient credits. Need up to 60
for 30 records. Balance: 12". Over MCP, the same error text comes back as a
tool error instead of a separate response code. When a connection is
allowed to enrich, the REST API also exposes a credit_balance action an
agent can call first to check the balance before running a large batch. See
the API connection topic for how to set up an endpoint.
Related topics: credits-explained · buying-credits · price-list · where-did-my-credits-go · api-connection-overview · billing-in-workspaces.
FAQ#
I have credits, but I still get the message — why?#
Every action needs its own price in your balance, and in a workspace the owner's balance counts, not yours. An enrichment run also checks before every group of lookups, so it can stop halfway when teammates spent credits meanwhile. Top up, then start the action again or click Continue on the stopped run.
Why did my AI Research run stop?#
AI Research is billed as it works, so when your balance runs out it uses what's left and then stops the run, and the Purchase Credits window opens. Every lead it already found stays in the run. After topping up, click Resume on that run to keep searching for new matches, or start a new research.
Why can't I start a LinkedIn import even though I have some credits?#
A LinkedIn import shows an estimated cost box before you start, and needs that full amount available in your balance (base fee + per-result rate × Max Results) — see "How much balance do I need to start a LinkedIn import?" in "Price list: what every action costs" for exactly how that maximum is calculated. Click Buy Credits in the box to top up without leaving the wizard.
Inbox says "Not enough credits for recognition" — what do I do?#
Every Inbox recognition run costs credits, so once your balance is below the price shown, recognizing is blocked. On an entry not yet recognized, the Recognize contacts button is replaced by a Top up credits button — click it, then run recognition again; on an already-recognized entry, top up from your balance in the left navigation instead. Nothing you pasted into Inbox is lost while you do this.
What happens after I top up — does the action continue automatically?#
No. Buying credits only adds to your balance — you start the search or import again yourself. A stopped enrichment run goes on with Continue in its task card and a stopped AI Research run with Resume; an automatic refresh resumes by itself.
What does my AI agent or API integration get when credits run out?#
The per-list REST API returns HTTP 402 with a JSON error stating how many credits were needed and what your balance was; over MCP the same text comes back as a tool error. On the REST API, an agent can call the credit_balance action (returns credits_remaining) before a large batch — it's available when the connection is allowed to enrich.
Why does Person Search show a different message than Segment Search?#
Person Search also shows "Not enough credits for this search." on the page; Segment Search only opens the Purchase Credits window. Both open that window, and both mean the same thing — your balance is below that search's price.
Do file imports and connected-tool imports need the same amount of credit?#
No. A file import (CSV, Excel, JSON) needs the file-import price in your balance before it starts; an import through a connected tool such as Google Sheets or Airtable has no flat price — it needs the price of its first request, and each further request is charged and checked as it goes. If the balance is short, the Purchase Credits window opens.
What should I do whenever I see one of these messages?#
Buy a credit pack from the window that opens (or from your balance in the navigation), then run the same action again — a stopped enrichment run continues with Continue, a stopped AI Research run with Resume. If you're only over the limit by a little, selecting fewer rows or a cheaper option can also bring the cost under your current balance.