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

# Pricing

> How the Linkup API pricing system works

## Billing

When you first sign up with a professional email address, your account is automatically credited with \$20. We will top up eligible accounts back to \$20 each month. You can add money to your account in the [Billing](https://app.linkup.so/organization/billing) section of the Linkup app.

> [!TIP]
>
> If you top up your account with \$1,000 or more, we will add free credits to your account.

Please reach out to [support@linkup.so](mailto:support@linkup.so) for custom needs.

Each time you make a successful request to our API endpoints, an amount is subtracted from your account. The amount deducted per call depends on the endpoint and parameters:

## Search endpoint

For the [**Search**](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/endpoints/search/overview.md) endpoint, the cost depends on both the `depth` and `outputType` parameters. `"sourcedAnswer"` and `"structured"` invoke an LLM to compose or shape the response and carry a small premium over raw `"searchResults"`.

| `depth` | `outputType` | Cost |
| - | - | - |
| `"flash"` / `"fast"` / `"standard"` | `"searchResults"` | \$0.005 |
| `"flash"` / `"fast"` / `"standard"` | `"sourcedAnswer"` / `"structured"` | \$0.006 |
| `"deep"` | `"searchResults"` | \$0.05 |
| `"deep"` | `"sourcedAnswer"` / `"structured"` | \$0.055 |

## Fetch endpoint

The [**Fetch**](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/endpoints/fetch/overview.md) endpoint is billed per call.

Cost depends on `mode` and `renderJs`. Adding a `schema` for
[structured output](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/endpoints/fetch/overview.md#structured-output)
adds a flat \$0.001 on top of any combination.

| `mode` | `renderJs` | Markdown only | With `schema` |
| - | - | - | - |
| `"standard"` | `false` | \$0.001 per call | \$0.002 per call |
| `"standard"` | `true` | \$0.005 per call | \$0.006 per call |
| `"pro"` | `false` | \$0.005 per call | \$0.006 per call |
| `"pro"` | `true` | \$0.01 per call | \$0.011 per call |

## Research endpoint

For the [**Research**](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/endpoints/research/overview.md) endpoint, the cost depends on the `reasoningDepth` parameter:

| Call Type | Cost |
| - | - |
| `"S"` | \$0.25 |
| `"M"` | \$0.50 |
| `"L"` | \$1.50 |
| `"XL"` | \$2.50 |

## Extract endpoint

For the [**Extract**](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/endpoints/extract/overview.md) endpoint (closed beta), cost is variable and scales with crawl complexity. Most completed tasks fall in the **\$2–10** range. The exact amount charged is returned as `creditsUsed` in the task `output`. No credit is deducted for failed tasks. A minimum account balance of **\$10** is required to submit an extract task.

## Tasks endpoint

Each task is billed exactly like the corresponding direct **Search**, **Fetch**, **Research**, or **Extract** call.

## x402 payment protocol

You can also pay per request using the [x402 protocol](https://docs.linkup.so/pages/documentation/platform/x402.md) with USDC on Base — no account needed. x402 pricing follows the same per-request costs listed above. A minimum charge of **\$0.01 per request** applies.

| Payment Method | Currency | Billing |
| - | - | - |
| API Key | USD | Prepaid credit balance |
| x402 | USD (USDC) | Per-request on-chain settlement |

> [!TIP]
>
> **Important note**: No credit is subtracted when an error occurs, whether that is due to a missing parameter, an internal server error, or because we were unable to find anything relevant to your query.

If your account runs out, the API will respond with a `429` HTTP error.

You can view your current consumption in the [Billing](https://app.linkup.so/organization/billing) section of the Linkup app.


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