> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gumloop.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What Does Pending Approval Mean?

New sources do not start syncing (or spending credits) right away. Brain first runs a free estimate pass — it counts the 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.

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.

## 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.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I search the source before approving?">
    No. Nothing is indexed until the source is approved, so search returns nothing from it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The status says Estimate failed">
    Open the source and click **Retry**, or **Skip and sync now** to proceed without an estimate.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will the hourly sync keep charging me?">
    Only for new or changed documents. A sync that finds nothing new costs no indexing credits.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Who pays for Brain credits?">
    Credits come from the organization's balance, like other usage. See [Credits](/help/credits) for how balances work.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Sync only certain folders" icon="folder-tree" href="/help/brain/sync-only-certain-folders">
    Narrow the source to lower the cost
  </Card>

  <Card title="Credits" icon="coins" href="/help/credits">
    How credits and balances work
  </Card>
</CardGroup>