What happens when I hit a limit?

When a free-plan allowance runs out, Canto stops the metered action but never your data: you'll see "You've reached this month's limit" with the reassurance "Your notes are safe. Upgrade to keep going — everything picks up right where you left off." Recording keeps working, nothing is deleted, and everything resumes when the month resets or you upgrade.

What happens to transcription?

Transcription has the most nuanced behavior, because a recording can cross the line mid-way:

• The recording that crosses the limit is still transcribed in full, but the transcript is withheld — it shows as Locked with "Your transcript is ready" and an Upgrade to unlock button.
• Recordings after that aren't transcribed while you're over the limit. They show Not transcribed, with "You're out of transcription minutes. Upgrade to Pro and this recording transcribes automatically."

In both states the audio is stored safely and plays back normally. Upgrading unlocks the locked transcript immediately and automatically transcribes the queued ones — you never resubmit anything. The full walkthrough is in Why is my recording locked or not transcribed?

What happens to chat, search, and templates?

These stop at their own allowances, independently of transcription. Sending a chat message, running a search, or generating a View past the limit shows the limit banner and opens the upgrade screen instead of running. Nothing queues up and nothing is lost — your chat history, past search results, and generated documents all stay readable; only new metered actions wait.

Each allowance is separate: running out of chat messages doesn't affect search, and vice versa.

What never hits a limit?

• Recording and playback — you can keep capturing audio; only its transcription waits.
• Your existing content — transcripts, notes, and documents already generated stay fully available and editable.
• AI on shared content — chat, search, and templates on recordings and folders shared with you are unmetered on every plan.

How do I see where I stand?

Settings → Usage & plan shows the This month section: Transcription, Chat messages, Searches, Templates, and Shared AI ("Chat, search, and templates on shared content" — informational, not capped).

How do I get going again?

Two ways:

1. Wait for the reset. All allowances refill at the start of the next calendar month. Locked recordings stay locked, though — the reset restores your allowance for new work, it doesn't retroactively unlock the withheld transcript.
2. Upgrade. Pro (or a Team seat) removes the limits, unlocks locked transcripts instantly, and auto-transcribes anything that was blocked. See Upgrade to Canto Pro.

The current allowances are listed in What are the free plan limits?

FAQ

Will I lose a meeting the notetaker recorded while I was over the limit?

No. The bot still records and the audio is saved; the meeting sits as Not transcribed. Upgrading transcribes it automatically — see Why is my recording locked or not transcribed? for the states in detail.