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

# Cost Management

> Understand workflow costs and learn strategies to optimize spending while maintaining performance.

## Understanding Workflow Costs

Workflows consume AI credits based on what they do. The main cost drivers are:

### AI Agent Nodes

The biggest expense in most workflows. Costs depend on:

* **Model used**: Larger models cost more than smaller ones
* **Input length**: How much data you send to the agent
* **Output length**: How much the agent generates
* **Tool usage**: Web searches, code execution, and integrations add costs

### Other Nodes

* **Web Search nodes**: Small fee per search
* **Action nodes**: Usually free (no AI involved)
* **Code/Condition/Loop nodes**: Free (just logic)
* **HTTP requests and notifications**: Free

## Monitoring Costs

### Per-Node Costs

After a workflow run, each node shows a **cost badge** in its footer. Hover over it to see:

* Total cost for that node
* Per-model breakdown with input/output tokens
* Cost per model used

### Per-Run Costs

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/langdock-34/qiRmkxz6yib6YAJ4/images/workflows/screenshots/CostManagementPerRun.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=qiRmkxz6yib6YAJ4&q=85&s=a5d7ff7f51c1aedf913fa1ed1c236430" alt="Per-Run Costs" width="3840" height="2160" data-path="images/workflows/screenshots/CostManagementPerRun.png" />

View run costs in the **Runs** tab:

1. Click on any run in the history
2. See total execution cost
3. Click individual nodes to see their cost breakdown

### Workflow-Level Costs

The history panel shows aggregate stats:

* Total runs
* Nodes executed
* Total cost (all-time)
* Average cost per run

## Setting Cost Limits

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/langdock-34/qiRmkxz6yib6YAJ4/images/workflows/screenshots/CostManagementLimit.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=qiRmkxz6yib6YAJ4&q=85&s=eabe5e7964b83b4aaca8b1a3e1739fb1" alt="Cost Limits" width="3840" height="2160" data-path="images/workflows/screenshots/CostManagementLimit.png" />

Protect yourself from unexpected charges in the workflow **Settings** panel:

### Monthly Limit

Set a maximum spending cap for the workflow per month:

1. Go to workflow settings
2. Set **Monthly Limit** (e.g., \$100)
3. New runs are blocked when the limit is reached
4. Progress bar shows current spend vs limit

### Per-Execution Limit

Prevent runaway costs from a single run:

1. Set **Execution Limit** (e.g., \$5 per run)
2. Run stops if it exceeds this amount
3. Useful for catching issues with loops or large data

### Hourly Rate Limit

Control how often the workflow can run:

1. Set **Max Executions Per Hour**
2. Prevents trigger floods from overwhelming your budget
3. Useful for webhook-triggered workflows

### Alert Thresholds

Get notified before hitting limits:

1. Add custom alert amounts (e.g., $25, $50)
2. Receive email notifications when crossing each threshold
3. Built-in alerts at 50% and 90% of monthly limit

<Warning>
  When a workflow reaches its monthly limit, new runs cannot start. Scheduled and polling workflows are deactivated when they try to run after reaching this limit.
</Warning>

## Cost Limits Hierarchy

Cost limits are enforced at multiple levels. Higher-level limits take precedence:

### Workspace-Level Limits (Admin)

Admins can set workspace-wide limits in **Settings → Products → Workflows**:

| Setting                            | Description                                                    |
| ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Workspace Spend Cap**            | Maximum total spend across all workflows (default: €500/month) |
| **Max Monthly Limit Per Workflow** | Caps what users can set as their workflow's monthly limit      |
| **Monthly Run Limit**              | Maximum workflow executions per month (based on plan)          |

When a workspace-level limit is reached, workflow executions stop regardless of their individual settings.

### Workflow-Level Limits (User)

Users can set limits per workflow (within admin constraints):

| Setting                 | Description                                                |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Monthly Limit**       | Capped by admin's "Max Monthly Limit Per Workflow" setting |
| **Per-Execution Limit** | Stops a single run if it exceeds this amount               |
| **Hourly Rate Limit**   | Maximum executions per hour                                |

<Note>
  The workflow monthly limit cannot exceed the admin-configured maximum. If an admin sets the max at $50, users cannot set their workflow limit higher than $50.
</Note>

## Optimization Strategies

### Choose the Right Model

Don't use premium models for simple tasks:

| Task                    | Model Choice           |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Extract email from text | Smaller/faster model ✅ |
| Complex reasoning       | Larger model ✅         |
| Date formatting         | Code node (free) ✅     |

### Optimize Agent Prompts

Shorter, clearer prompts cost less and work better:

```text theme={null}
Analyze this feedback. Return:
- Sentiment: positive/neutral/negative
- Urgency: low/medium/high
- Key issue (1 sentence)

Feedback: {{trigger.output.message}}
```

<Tip>
  Use structured outputs. They're more reliable and prevent the model from generating unnecessary explanatory text.
</Tip>

### Use Code for Simple Transformations

Don't use AI for tasks that code can handle:

**Free with Code Node:**

```javascript theme={null}
const date = new Date(trigger.output.date);
return {
  formatted: date.toISOString().split('T')[0]  // YYYY-MM-DD
};
```

**When to use code instead of AI:**

* Date/time formatting
* Mathematical calculations
* Data filtering and sorting
* String manipulation
* JSON parsing/formatting

## Cost-Effective Patterns

### Smart Filtering

Filter data before sending to AI:

```text theme={null}
Trigger (100 items) → Code: Filter relevant items (20 items)
                    → Agent: Process 20 items (not 100)
```

### Progressive Enhancement

Start cheap, escalate only if needed:

```text theme={null}
Data → Quick check (code) → [SIMPLE] → Done
                          → [COMPLEX] → AI analysis
```

## Estimating Costs Before Launch

### 1. Count Expected Runs

* Forms: Expected submissions per month
* Scheduled: Runs per day × 30
* Webhooks: Events per month from integration

### 2. Test with Real Data

Run 5-10 tests and check the cost badges:

```text theme={null}
Average cost per run: $0.13
Expected monthly runs: 1,000
Estimated monthly cost: $130
Add 20% buffer: $156
```

### 3. Set Appropriate Limits

```text theme={null}
Monthly limit: $200 (includes buffer)
Per-run limit: $1.00 (catches anomalies)
Hourly rate: Based on expected trigger frequency
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Agent Node" icon="brain" href="/en/using-langdock/workflows/nodes/agent-node">
    Understand agent node costs and optimization
  </Card>

  <Card title="Code Node" icon="code" href="/en/using-langdock/workflows/nodes/code-node">
    Use code for free transformations
  </Card>
</CardGroup>