UNDERSTANDING SESSIONS
Sessions are the operating currency of Aetherya. Every simulation, audit, and automation you run consumes sessions, making them the primary lever for forecasting cost and capacity.
How sessions are counted
A single session represents one full simulation cycle through our cognition engine. Base usage is always calculated first, then multipliers are layered on top.
Start with the number of personas, agents, or audit pages you are processing.
Apply the audit-specific multiplier (e.g., 1.2× for Accessibility).
Apply runtime modifiers such as Cognitive Mode (1.8×).
THE FINAL NUMBER IS ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST WHOLE SESSION.
When sessions are consumed
Every persona run through a campaign stage consumes a session.
Audit depth and multiplier determine total sessions.
Each experimental variant sent to the engine counts as one session.
Scheduled workflows consume a session per execution.
Testing different brand assets or copy variants with personas consumes sessions.
Persona Simulations
Every persona or agent run consumes exactly one session. Running 12 personas through a campaign costs 12 sessions regardless of persona complexity.
Audit Depth
Audit pricing multiplies the base session count by the audit multiplier. A 20-page audit at 2.4× costs 48 sessions (20 base + 28 additional).
Cognitive Mode
Enabling cognitive reasoning applies a 1.8× modifier. The modifier is applied after base personas and audit multipliers are calculated.
Automations & Webhooks
Automations triggered from campaigns or webhooks are metered in sessions. Each run of the automation counts as one session unless otherwise noted.
Managing your session balance
Pro and Enterprise plans include a monthly session allowance that resets each billing cycle. Purchased credit top-ups persist in your balance until used. Top up at any time for instant scaling.
Forecast demand
Estimate monthly persona runs, audits, and automations before a launch. Multiply by the expected audit multipliers to size your session pool.
Bundle workloads
Group simulations together when possible so you can spot high-multiplier workloads early and decide whether to defer or split them.
Monitor usage
Use the dashboard session ledger to track daily burn, scheduled jobs, and upcoming audits. Alerts can be configured when you hit custom thresholds.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do simulations ever cost more than one session?
Base simulations cost one session apiece. Only when you add audit multipliers or cognitive modifiers will the total exceed the base count. We display the running tally before you launch an experiment so there are no surprises.
What happens if I run out of sessions mid-campaign?
Active personas finish their current step, then pause automatically. You can top up sessions or downgrade the workload. Campaign resumptions pick up where they left off once additional sessions are available.
How are refunds handled for failed runs?
If a simulation fails due to an AETHERYA system error, the consumed sessions are automatically credited back within minutes. Failures caused by invalid inputs (bad URLs, missing assets, API errors) remain billable, so double-check inputs before launching.