Topics automation can exhaust your monthly Topics credit quickly

Issue: Enabling Topics with default settings can consume the monthly Topics credit quickly on high-volume projects, especially when using 100% sampling or applying Topics to existing traces. Cause: Topics runs background analysis over matching traces. By default, the automation uses 100% sampling, so broad project traffic or historical backfills can use a large amount of Topics credit. Resolution: Lower the Topics sampling rate, narrow the automation with filters, avoid unnecessary historical backfills, and monitor Topics usage separately from processed data usage.

​

Resolution steps

​

If Topics credit has not been exhausted

1. Lower the sampling rate Start with a low sampling rate, such as 1-5%, for high-volume projects. See Adjust automation.
2. Add filters Limit Topics to the workflows, environments, or trace patterns you actually want to evaluate. See Adjust automation and Match traces across spans.
3. Avoid broad backfills When first testing Topics, consider applying it only to new traces instead of existing traces. See Enable Topics.
4. Monitor usage Check billing usage for both Topics credit and processed data. These are separate limits.

​

If Topics credit has already been exhausted

1. Pause Topics Stop the automation so new traces are not processed by Topics. See Pause/resume automation.
2. Reduce scope before resuming Lower sampling and add filters before turning Topics back on. See Adjust automation.
3. Wait for the next monthly cycle, add a card, or upgrade On Starter without on-demand usage, Topics pauses after the monthly credit is exhausted. Add a card to resume at the overage rates, or see What happens when I run out of Topics credit?.

​

Key limits to monitor

Pausing Topics prevents future Topics credit usage but does not restore credit already consumed.