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What is image cache storage?

Image cache storage refers to the space used to store your processed images on Imgix's servers. When you render an image and apply transformations, the resulting images are cached (stored) so they can be delivered quickly to your users without having to re-process them each time. This storage counts toward your Management credit usage at 2 credits per GB.

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What are cache reads?

Cache reads occur when your cached images are accessed and delivered to end users. Every time someone views an image on your website or app, it's "read" from our cache and delivered through our CDN. These reads are part of your delivery bandwidth and count toward your Delivery credit usage at 1 credit per GB.

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What are transformations?

Transformations are any changes or enhancements applied to your images or videos through Imgix. This includes standard adjustments such as resizing, cropping, and format conversion, as well as advanced and premium features such as background removal, upscaling, face detection, and video encoding. Each transformation uses a specific amount of credits depending on its complexity - from standard renders (1 credit per 500 operations) to premium AI-powered features (2 credits per operation). You can apply multiple transformations to a single image, and they can be combined in a single request. Please see the chart above for a full breakdown of credit costs per transformation type.

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Where can I track my credit usage?

You can view your current credit usage and balance directly in your dashboard. We also plan to provide customers on contract-based subscriptions monthly usage statements in the future.

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Are credits consumed in real time?

Yes. Credits are deducted as actions are performed.

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Do different actions consume different amounts of credits?

Yes. Different transformations and actions use varying amounts of credits. Please see the chart above for the full breakdown.

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Can I set usage alerts or limits to avoid unexpected costs?

You'll automatically receive email alerts when your credit usage reaches 80%, 90%, and 100%. These notifications help you stay ahead of your usage and avoid surprises.

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What happens if I run out of credits?

Running out of credits should never be a surprise. When you reach 80% and 90% of your credit balance, we will email you to make sure that you're aware that you might be getting close. For self-serve subscriptions, you can upgrade your plan anytime at a prorated rate to access more credits. If you expect your usage to return to normal the following month, you can downgrade again before the next billing cycle. For contract subscriptions, contact your customer success manager to request additional credits.

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How can I estimate how many credits I'll need each month?

We have a credit calculator on our pricing page that you can use to estimate credits. Alternatively, you can make use of our free trial to see how many credits you use, or you can reach out to us at any time and we will help you calculate.

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What assumptions are made in the credit calculator?

For the purposes of delivering an estimate, we have used data from across all our customers to determine median volumes of image transformations.

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How can I optimize my usage to get the most out of my credits?

There are a few best practices that can help you maximize performance while minimizing credit usage. Please see our Best Practices Guide for more information on how you can get the most out of Imgix.

  1. Use auto=compress,format
    This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce file size and save on bandwidth-related credits without sacrificing quality.
  2. Set a longer cache TTL
    If your images don't change frequently, consider setting a longer TTL (Time to Live), such as 1 year. This reduces the number of read requests and transformation operations, which helps lower your credit consumption.
  3. Be strategic with srcset
    srcset is great for responsive images, but our SDKs generate 24 versions by default. Reducing this to around 12 can offer a good balance between responsive performance and credit efficiency, especially when combined with caching.
  4. Resize before upload
    Avoid uploading unnecessarily large files. Setting a max input file size can help with both read performance and credit savings.
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What's the monetary value of one credit?

Credit prices vary based on your bundle size. Smaller bundles start at $0.40 per credit, and the price decreases with larger bundles.

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How do credits get used across features?

Each Imgix feature uses a specific amount of credits based on the type of action or transformation. Here's a breakdown of how credits are consumed:

Operations Included Credits
Management
Media Management
Includes image cache storage and metadata
2 per GB
Delivery
Media Delivery
Delivery bandwidth including cache reads and CDN delivery
1 per GB
Transformation
Standard Render*
Auto, Brightness, Contrast, Exposure, Gamma, Highlight, Hue shift, Invert, Saturation, Shadow, Sharpen, Unsharp Mask Radius, Unsharp Mask, Vibrance, Compress, Blend, Border, Padding, Color Palette Extraction, CSS Prefix, Palette Color Count, Device Pixel Ratio, Expiration Timestamp, Background Color, Fill Color, Fill Gradient, Fill Mode, Grid Colors/Size, Transparency, Focal Point Crop, Image Format, Image Masking, Noise Reduction, PDF Rendering, Rotation, Aspect Ratio, Crop Mode, Image Height/Width, Maximum Height/Width, Minimum Height/Width, Resize Fit, Duotone Alpha, Duotone, Gaussian Blur, Halftone, Direct-to-Film Halftone, Monochrome, Pixellate, Sepia Tone, Text Overlay, Trim, Typesetting, Watermarks, Face Blur, Face Index, Face Padding, Face Pixelation, JSON Face Data, License Plate Detection and Blur
1 credit per 500 renders
Advanced Render
Auto Alt Text Generation, Asset Tagging, Animated GIF
1 credit per 50 renders
Premium Render
Background Removal/Replacement, Object Removal/Replacement, Super Resolution, Generative Fill, Text-to-Image

Video Encoding
2

2 Per Minute

* A standard render may include multiple transformations as a single operation. For example, one standard render may include contrast, sharpen, crop and compress as part of a single operation that would be charged at 1/500th credit.

Note: There are no partial credit charges. So, 1 credit allows up to 500 standard renders or up to 50 advanced renders. For example, 120 advanced renders = 3 credits