- Credit Usage Chart
- Tips on Credit Usage
Keeping track of your credit balance is essential for all Premium Shape users. Your credits are consumed at different rates depending on several factors.The biggest factor is your chosen premium engine, or the engine selected by the Shape creator. Premium engines have different provider costs, so some credits stretch farther than others.
Use AI Engine Guide for model family guidance, and check shapes.inc/engines for the current live engine list.
Offered premium engines, prices, and credit usage can change over time. Always check the credit notice shown in chat before sending if you are trying to control spend.
Understanding Credit Usage
Every time your Shape sends a message, it talks to an AI engine that processes all the context you’ve given it — your messages, the Shape’s settings, and any memories or instructions you’ve enabled.The more context = the more tokens used = the more credits spent.
What Counts Toward Input Tokens
Each Shape message includes multiple “inputs” that tell the AI who it is, what’s happening, and what to say.Here’s what gets counted:
| Input Source | What It Is | Token Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Your Message | What you just type or say each time you chat. | 🟢 Low – Short messages barely cost anything; long paragraphs increase cost slightly. |
| Training Samples | Example chats you’ve added to “teach” your Shape. Managed on the AI Engine page. | 🟢 Low – Only up to 10 examples are pulled at once, so cost stays small. |
| Knowledge | The Shape’s linked knowledge base or uploaded reference material. Controlled on the AI Engine page. | 🟢 Low – Up to 10 knowledge entries may load per message depending on settings. Each one adds input length. |
| Long-Term Memory | Saved memories from past sessions. Found on the Shape’s Memory page and AI Engine settings. | 🟢 Low – A maximum of 10 memories are pulled each time. |
| Shape Personality & Preset | The Shape’s core traits, examples, and writing style you set during creation. | 🟡 Medium – Brief traits are fine, but long, detailed personalities add up. |
| Custom Shape Instructions | Extra behavior rules you set in the Shape’s configuration menu. | 🟠 High – Costs scale with length. Keep them concise when possible. |
| Chat Instructions | Custom context that applies to everyone in a Chat. Found in Chat → AI Configuration. | 🟠 High – The longer the instructions, the more each Shape message costs. |
| Your Persona | The personal profile or “who you are” context you’ve entered. | 🟠 High – There’s no input limit here, so long personas can quickly consume tokens. |
| Short-Term Memory | The Shape’s recall of recent chat messages. Managed on the AI Engine page. | 🔴 Very High – If set to 200, it re-reads all 200 recent messages each time. Great for remembering details, but expensive. |
Settings That Affect Cost
You can control how much input each message sends by adjusting these toggles in your Shape or Chat:| Setting | Effect on Cost | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Engine Choice | Different AI models have different prices per token. | 💡 Cheaper engines = longer chats for less. |
| Memory Settings | Control how much context is re-sent. | 💡 Try lowering if your Shape doesn’t need full recall. |
| Knowledge Settings | Enables use of stored data or uploaded text. | 💡 Turn off if not needed for casual chats. Utilize the Engine’s built in data. |
| Training Level | Controls how many examples are sent to guide tone/style. | 💡 Keep to Low unless you need better replication. |
| Chat Settings | Custom instructions, Shape instructions, Persona | 💡 You can be very concise with all of your inputs here! |
Example Scenarios
| Example | What’s Happening | Credit Impact |
|---|---|---|
| “Casual chat with a short prompt” | You send short messages, low memory, no knowledge. | 🟢 Very low. |
| “Storytelling with detailed Shape personality” | Long custom prompt + long Shape responses. | 🟠 Moderate. |
| “Research Shape with knowledge docs + training” | Pulls from multiple sources + high memory. | 🔴 High. |
| “High-end engine with high short-term memory ON” | Expensive model + large input context each turn. | 🔴🔴 Very high. |
Tips to Stretch Your Credits
- Keep inputs concise. Every word adds tokens.
- Use memory settings wisely unless you need deep recall.
- Disable unused features like knowledge or training.
- Switch engines if you’re chatting often, try a different one.
TL;DR
Your Shape’s total token input =(Your message) + (Shape settings) + (Memories) + (Instructions) + (Knowledge/Training)
More context = richer replies, but also more credit use.