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New sources do not start syncing (or spending credits) right away. Brain first runs a free estimate pass — it lists the source’s documents and estimates the credits a full sync would cost — and waits for someone to approve before indexing anything. The source moves through these statuses:
  1. Estimating — Brain is fetching and measuring documents. Nothing is billed yet. You will be notified when the estimate is ready.
  2. Pending approval — the estimate is ready. Open the source to review the document count and estimated cost, shown as ~N credits.
  3. Active — someone clicked Approve and sync; the real sync runs and indexing credits are charged.
The person who added the source gets an email and an inbox notification when the estimate is ready. Anyone who can manage the source can approve it.

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How the estimate is calculated

Brain lists every document in the source, then measures a sample of 50 documents and extrapolates from that sample to the full document count. This keeps estimates fast on large sources, since Brain does not have to download the whole source to price it. If none of the sampled documents could be read, the estimate stops instead of offering an estimate of zero credits: “The cost estimate stopped because none of the sampled documents could be read. Check the source’s access and settings, then start the sync again.”

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Estimates expire after 30 days

An estimate that nobody approves expires 30 days after it was ready. The source then shows: “This estimate expired before it was approved. Start the sync again to get a new estimate.” Nothing is indexed or billed for an expired estimate.

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Changing what’s estimated

If the estimate looks too high, use Edit selection to narrow what’s synced — the source re-estimates with the smaller selection. You can also choose Skip estimate and sync now to start syncing without waiting for the estimate.

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What credits does Brain use?

  • Indexing is charged when documents are actually indexed: on the first sync after approval, and afterwards only for new or changed documents. Unchanged documents are never re-charged on routine syncs.
  • Searching Brain (including agents answering from it) uses credits per query, like other AI usage.
The estimate is a heuristic, rounded up to the nearest 5 credits — actual cost is billed on what is really indexed.

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FAQ

No. Nothing is indexed until the source is approved, so search returns nothing from it.
Open the source and click Retry, or Skip and sync now to proceed without an estimate.
The estimate is extrapolated from a 50-document sample, so the actual cost depends on the documents that are really indexed. You are billed on what is actually indexed, not on the estimate.
Unapproved estimates expire after 30 days. Start the sync again to get a new estimate.
Only for new or changed documents. A sync that finds nothing new costs no indexing credits.
Credits come from the organization’s balance, like other usage. See Credits for how balances work.

Sync only certain folders

Narrow the source to lower the cost

Credits

How credits and balances work