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[FAQ] Add: enterprise billing, cost controls, and retry cost FAQ entries #29022

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[FAQ] Add: enterprise billing, cost controls, and retry cost FAQ entries #29022

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17 changes: 17 additions & 0 deletions docs/src/content/docs/reference/faq.md
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Expand Up @@ -546,6 +546,23 @@ Costs vary depending on workflow complexity, AI model, and execution time. GitHu

Reduce costs by optimizing prompts, using smaller models, limiting tool calls, reducing run frequency, and caching results.

### Are GitHub Actions minutes billed separately from AI usage?

Yes — these are two independent costs. Agentic workflows run as GitHub Actions workflows, so standard Actions minutes apply and are subject to your organization's [Actions spending limits](https://docs.github.com/en/billing/managing-billing-for-your-products/managing-billing-for-github-actions/managing-your-spending-limit-for-github-actions). AI usage is billed separately through your AI provider (see [Who pays for the use of AI?](#who-pays-for-the-use-of-ai) above).

### How do I control and cap AI spend?

gh-aw doesn't have a built-in spend cap. Cost governance happens at two levels:

- **GitHub Actions minutes**: Set a spending limit in your GitHub organization's billing settings.
- **AI provider budgets**: For Claude and Codex, use Anthropic's or OpenAI's dashboard to set usage caps and alerts. For Copilot CLI, usage is constrained by the premium request quota in your Copilot plan.

To attribute costs per repository, use a separate PAT or API key for each repo — then provider dashboards show usage scoped to that key.

### How do retries and frequent triggers affect cost?

Each workflow execution — including retries — runs a full agent session and consumes a similar amount of AI credits and Actions minutes. Agentic workflows don't loop indefinitely; the agent runs once per trigger. However, a high-frequency event trigger (e.g., firing on every comment across a busy repo) multiplies costs proportionally. Limit trigger frequency using conditions in the `on:` block of your workflow frontmatter, or restrict triggers to specific labels, paths, or actor filters.

### Can I change the model being used, e.g., use a cheaper or more advanced one?

Yes! You can configure the model in your workflow frontmatter:
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