# Usage

> The Usage screen shows what your assistants have used. Learn what it lists and how clear goals and house rules keep usage down.

The [Usage screen](https://stellarfirm.ai/app/usage) is where you check what your assistants have used. Open it any time you want to know where your credits went.

## What the screen shows

Usage lists the work your assistants did, one row at a time.

| You see | What it tells you |
| --- | --- |
| The assistant | Which assistant did the work, such as the Coder. |
| The job or conversation | What the work was part of. |
| What was used | Credits, when StellarFirm ran the work for you. |
| Size | How much went in and how much came out. |
| What it ran on | Whether StellarFirm ran it, or a connection of your own. |

Calls that ran on a connection of your own are listed without credits, so the record is complete.

> [!NOTE]
> An empty list is normal on a new account. Rows appear after an assistant has done some work.

## Read it in three steps

1. Open [Usage](https://stellarfirm.ai/app/usage).
2. Find the assistant and job you are curious about.
3. Compare it with what you asked for. A large row for a small request usually means the goal was open ended.

If the screen does not load, check your connection and try again with **Refresh**. If it keeps failing, contact the [Support page](/support).

## Keep usage down

Clear goals and house rules save more than anything else.

| Do this | Why it helps |
| --- | --- |
| Name the place and the finish line | The assistant does not have to explore. |
| Ask for one change per goal | Small jobs are quick to review and quick to redo. |
| Say what not to touch | It keeps the assistant out of unrelated code. |
| Put standing rules in your company brief | You stop repeating them in every message. |
| Reject a step that is off track | Stopping early ends the spend early. |
| Ask for a plan before a big job | You can cut scope before work begins. |

```prompt title="A tight goal"
Coder, on [repository], fix [one specific problem] in [file or area]. Do not change anything else. Run the related tests and open a pull request for review.
```

```prompt title="Plan before spending"
CEO, for [large goal], propose the smallest first step that gives me something I can review. Do not start until I agree.
```

```prompt title="Ask what drove usage"
CEO, which of my recent jobs used the most, and how could I have asked for them more tightly?
```

## Next

- [How credits work](/docs/credits/how-credits-work)
- [House rules](/docs/ceo/house-rules)
- [CEO prompt guide](/docs/ceo/prompt-guide)

---

Source: https://stellarfirm.ai/docs/credits/usage