Not enough credits
Most actions check a fixed price before they run, and are refused if your balance is below it — even a balance that isn't literally zero can be too low for a specific action. Bulk enrichment jobs and imports with a variable result count check the highest possible cost instead, so you may see a message even though the action would likely have cost less. This article lists the exact messages you may see and what to do about each. In a workspace, the balance that counts is always the workspace owner's.
Messages you may see and what to do#
| Where you see it | What it says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Person Search (Personensuche) | "Not enough credits for this search." — and the Purchase Credits window opens automatically. | Top up, then search again. |
| Segment Search (Segmentsuche) | An error panel headed "The search failed. Please try again." with the text "Insufficient credits" | Top up from your balance in the left navigation — trying again won't help until you do. |
| Profile drawer add-ons | No inline message once a profile is loaded — the Purchase Credits window opens with the note "You don't have enough credits for this operation. Please purchase more credits." | Top up in the window that opens, then click the add-on 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 import (CSV, Excel, JSON) | "Insufficient credits. You need at least 1 credit(s) for this import. Current balance: …" | Top up, then start the import again. |
| New list → connected tool import (e.g. Google Sheets, Airtable) | "Insufficient credits. You need at least 3 credit(s) for this import. Current balance: …" | 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 bulk enrichment | "Insufficient credits. Need up to 60 credits for 30 items. Balance: 12." (numbers vary) | The Purchase Credits window opens with this message — top up, or select fewer rows, then run it again. |
| Single-contact enrichment (record panel / single cell) | "Insufficient credits. You need at least 2 credit(s). Current balance: 1." (numbers vary) | The Purchase Credits window opens with this message — top up, then run it again. |
| AI commands (chat with a list) | A reply saying "You don't have enough credits for this operation. Please purchase more credits to continue." — and the Purchase Credits window opens. | Top up, then send the command 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#
- Bulk enrichment jobs (the Enrich menu, analytics panel buttons) compare the balance with the job's estimated maximum cost before starting, then write results to your list as they come in. Before each paid lookup, the job checks the balance again; if it no longer covers the lookup (for example because teammates in the same workspace spent credits meanwhile), the job stops. The remaining rows are not charged and show as failed in the task card. After a top-up, run the enrichment again on the rows that are still empty.
- 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.
- Imports (file, connected tool, LinkedIn) check your balance before the import starts. Once you see the confirmation and click start, it runs to completion — see "AI, research and import costs" for exactly how much balance each import type needs up front.
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" — similar to the bulk enrichment message
above. 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 · price-list-ai-research-imports · where-did-my-credits-go · api-connection-overview · billing-in-workspaces.
FAQ#
I have credits, but I still get the message — why?#
Some actions, like bulk enrichment on many rows, check the highest possible cost of the whole job up front rather than a fixed price, so you're blocked if your balance can't cover the worst case even though the real cost might end up lower. Selecting fewer rows, or topping up, resolves it.
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 "AI, research and import 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 at least 0.5 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, Recognize again just shows the message with no button, so top up from your balance in the left navigation instead, then click Recognize again. 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, import or enrichment again yourself; for a stopped AI Research run, click Resume instead of starting over.
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 shows "Not enough credits for this search." and opens the Purchase Credits window for you automatically; Segment Search shows an error panel headed "The search failed. Please try again." with the text "Insufficient credits" and expects you to top up from the balance in the navigation yourself. 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 at least 1 credit in your balance to start, while importing through a connected tool such as Google Sheets or Airtable needs at least 3 — both are checked before the import begins and show an "Insufficient credits" message if your balance is short.
What should I do whenever I see one of these messages?#
Buy a credit pack from the window that usually opens automatically (or from your balance in the navigation), then run the same action again yourself — only a stopped AI Research run can be continued with Resume instead of starting over. 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.