Notion rebuilds its agents and moves AI to per-seat credits

Notion has rebuilt its AI agents and moved Notion AI to a new credit system [1]. Business and Enterprise seats now come with 1,500 Standard credits a month, for work where Notion’s Auto router picks the model, and 500 Select credits a month, for work where you pick the model yourself or run your own Custom Agents [1][2]. The system took effect for new workspaces on 19 October, and existing workspaces move over on 2 November [2][3]. For anyone who pays for Notion and uses its agents, AI use is now something with a monthly allowance per person, and some work will pause when that allowance runs out.

What was announced

Notion published the update on 19 October in a post by co-founder Akshay Kothari [1]. The company lists five parts: a smarter model router, rebuilt agents, ways to bring AI you already pay for, more admin visibility, and a new credit system [1][5].

The router is called Auto. It reads each task and sends it to the model that best balances quality, speed and cost [1]. Simple requests go to fast, efficient models; longer work such as analysis or multi-step agent runs goes to more capable ones, and if a model is not making progress, Auto re-routes to a different one [1]. The company says that across 20+ common use cases, Auto delivered results similar to Opus 5.5 and Astra at about 90% lower average cost, which it describes as credits going about 10× further [1]. Those are Notion’s own tests. The help page gives example numbers: a simple task such as polishing an email is estimated at 5 credits on Auto against 50 with Opus 5.5, a medium task at 10 against 85, and a complex task at 25 against 150 [2]. Notion says actual use varies [2].

The agents run on what Notion calls the sixth generation of its harness [1]. Each session runs on a dedicated service with a queue-backed worker loop, so work keeps going through restarts; Notion says that is how a single task can now run for more than 24 hours, up from five minutes [1]. Agents now have their own computer and browser, compact long conversations, and offload large tool results instead of keeping them in context [1]. According to [3], the browser lets the agent open websites, fill out forms and download files. A new “Review for me” mode uses a separate model to check whether an action is safe before the agent takes it [1]. Notion says Custom Agent runs cost about 30% less in its testing [1].

For AI you already pay for, members can connect a ChatGPT Plus, Pro or Go plan to their personal Notion Agent [1]. According to [3], that subscription applies when a member picks a specific GPT model, and Auto and Custom Agents do not use it. Bring Your Own Key is in private alpha for Enterprise customers [1][5]. The Notion MCP server was overhauled, with memory sync live and Skills via MCP coming soon [1][5]. An AI Command Center, with usage by member, feature and agent, spending limits and model controls, is announced but not yet live [1][5].

What changed, and for whom

The main change is how AI use is counted. Standard credits cover work where Notion picks the model: Notion Agent on Auto, writing and translation, AI blocks, formulas and inline editing, and AI Meeting Notes from 1 December [2]. Select credits cover picking a model yourself in Notion Agent and Custom Agents you set up for your own use [2]. The two balances are separate for each member. They cannot be pooled across the workspace, moved between people or swapped for each other, and unused credits do not roll over [2].

When a balance runs out, the features it covers pause until the monthly reset [2]. The way around that is a third pool, workspace Notion credits, which an admin can let members spend once their own credits are gone [2]. That option is off by default [2]. Workspace credits also pay for high-credit-consumption models not included in a plan, such as Fable and Astra, for Custom Agents the workspace funds, and for running an agent through the Notion API or a connected app [2].

Custom Agents have their own rules. By default, a Custom Agent uses its owner’s Select credits, even when other people in the workspace use it [4]. The owner can set a spending cap per agent, and an admin can switch an agent to a monthly budget of workspace credits at any time [4]. If the owner’s Select credits run out and no workspace credits are available, the agent pauses [4]. Custom Agents created before 2 November will keep drawing from shared workspace credits [4]. Notion’s announcement says teams no longer need to buy credits to start building Custom Agents [1].

Meeting notes are the change most likely to surprise people. AI Meeting Notes uses Auto and starts consuming the monthly Standard allowance on 1 December, at an estimated 10 credits for a one-hour meeting [2]. A person who records many long meetings will use part of their allowance before they ask the agent for anything else.

Notion says the vast majority of users are unlikely to run out of credits [1]. It does not publish how many people on current plans would exceed 1,500 Standard or 500 Select credits a month, so that is not public.

Who it is for — and not

This update is for teams on Business or Enterprise that already use Notion AI and want agents to take on longer, multi-step work inside their workspace [1][2]. If most of your use is on Auto, Notion’s own estimates suggest the included Standard credits go a long way: at 5 to 25 credits a task, 1,500 credits covers dozens to hundreds of tasks a month [2].

It also suits people who already pay for ChatGPT. Connecting a Plus, Pro or Go plan to your personal Notion Agent lets that subscription cover GPT models you pick there [1][3]. It does not cover Auto or Custom Agents, according to [3].

It is less comfortable for heavy users who prefer one top model. Picking a model yourself draws on the smaller Select pool, and Notion’s table shows a chosen frontier model using several times more credits per task than Auto [2]. Someone who always picks a model and runs their own Custom Agents could reach 500 Select credits well before the month ends.

It is not aimed at Free or Plus users. Standard and Select credits come with workspaces on a Business or Enterprise plan [2], and the announcement does not describe changes for the cheaper plans [1].

And it is not yet the full admin picture. The AI Command Center, which would show usage by member and agent and set spending limits, is still marked as coming soon [1][5]. Until it arrives, admins and members check usage under Settings, Notion AI, Usage [2].

This page will be updated if Notion changes the included credit amounts, publishes the price of workspace credits under the new system, or launches the AI Command Center.

∴ Notion AI now runs on monthly per-seat credits; check your team’s usage before existing workspaces switch on 2 November.