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Claude Code subscription usage is shared with Claude on the web and Claude Desktop. Paid plans have rolling five-hour and weekly limits, and the most reliable way to check your own progress and reset timing is Settings > Usage. Usage is not a fixed number of messages: it varies with factors such as conversation length, features, model, and effort level.
What counts toward Claude Code usage limits?
If Claude Code is signed in through an eligible Claude subscription or seat, its use draws on that plan’s shared allowance. Anthropic says usage is shared across Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and Claude on the web. A long coding task with extensive project context or tool activity can use more of that allowance than a short, simple exchange.
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Anthropic does not publish a stable universal message or token count for these limits. Conversation length and complexity, the features used, the selected model, and effort level all affect consumption. Limits can also vary by model or feature, so an estimate based on another account may not apply to yours. Check Anthropic’s usage-limit guidance and your account’s live usage display rather than relying on a fixed quota.
Subscription use and API use are billed differently
The authentication method changes how Claude Code use is metered. With an eligible subscription or seat, usage is governed by the plan’s allowance. With an API key, use is pay-as-you-go and charges go to the associated Anthropic Console account or configured cloud provider account. These API charges are separate from subscription limits; Claude Code’s /cost command can show running session spend for API-key use. See the Claude Code cost guide for details.
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| Access method | How use is metered | Where to monitor it |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible Claude subscription or seat | Shared plan allowance across Claude, Claude Code, and Claude Desktop | Settings > Usage |
| API key | Pay-as-you-go charges billed to the associated Anthropic Console or cloud provider account | /cost for running session spend, plus the provider account’s billing controls |
When do Claude Code limits reset?
Paid plans have rolling five-hour session limits as well as weekly limits. The five-hour allowance resets five hours after it is reached. The weekly allowance follows its own schedule; using an eligible special reset for a five-hour or weekly limit does not change the weekly limit’s usual reset schedule. Because timing and current progress are account-specific, check Settings > Usage for the status shown on your account.
Anthropic sometimes offers eligible plans a special limit reset. If your account has one, it appears in the Resets section of Settings > Usage on Claude web or Claude Desktop. A reset can restore either the five-hour or weekly limit immediately; once used, it cannot be undone, and it may expire at the date and time displayed there. Anthropic says this button is not currently available in the Claude Code terminal or IDE, or in Claude Mobile. It is an optional offer, not the normal recurring reset. See Anthropic’s limit-reset information.
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Do not assume a universal message count, token quota, or weekly reset day: Anthropic’s plan limits and offers can change, and its own guidance notes limits may be applied by model or feature. For plan information, consult Anthropic’s pricing page; for the live limit and reset status, use the account’s Settings > Usage page.
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How do I stop hitting my Claude Code limit?
- Check Settings > Usage before a long session. Review both the five-hour and weekly progress indicators so you can plan work against the current account status.
- Use
/clearwhen switching to unrelated work. It removes the current conversation history so the new task does not carry unnecessary discussion forward. Project files andCLAUDE.mdremain available. This is a context-management command, not a plan-usage reset. - Use
/compactwhen the same task needs to continue. It summarizes the conversation to free context while retaining a recap; Claude Code can also compact automatically near context limits. Like/clear, it manages context rather than resetting plan usage. - Give Claude the relevant material together. State the specific help you need and include the relevant code or context in a focused prompt instead of extending the exchange through fragmented requests. Anthropic recommends focused requests and relevant snippets in its usage best practices.
- Choose model and effort for the task. Anthropic identifies both as usage factors. Use
/modelto view or change the model available to your account, and select an effort level appropriate to the work. No specific percentage or number of saved messages is guaranteed. - If you use an API key, monitor spend separately. Check session spend with
/costand use the billing and spend controls of the account receiving the API charges; subscription usage advice does not govern API billing.
These steps help limit unnecessary context and make consumption easier to monitor, but they cannot guarantee that you will stay below an account’s changing limits.
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