> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.shuttleai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The ShuttleAI API Abuse System

> How ShuttleAI detects and handles API abuse — dynamic thresholds, concurrency limits, reselling detection, and enforcement escalation.

ShuttleAI uses a multi-layered abuse detection system to keep the platform fair, fast, and affordable for everyone. This page explains what we consider abuse, how we detect it, and what happens when it's flagged.

<Warning>
  Reselling API access, proxying requests for third parties, or operating ShuttleAI as a cheap upstream proxy is **strictly prohibited** and will result in account termination.
</Warning>

***

## What Counts as Abuse

For an AI API, abuse isn't just "high usage." It's **behavioral patterns** that indicate misuse:

* Mass reselling traffic through a single key
* Sudden massive spikes in token consumption
* High concurrency from a low-age account
* 24/7 maxed-out throughput usage
* Unusual token patterns (e.g., huge context windows on every request)

We detect **behavior**, not just raw volume.

***

## Dynamic Percentile Thresholds

Instead of hard-coding a flat token limit, ShuttleAI uses a **dynamic percentile system** that scales with real usage across each plan tier.

This means the threshold naturally adjusts as the platform grows — no manual tuning required.

<Info>
  Percentiles are computed **per tier**. Free users do not affect Premium thresholds, and Premium users do not affect Scale thresholds. Full tier isolation is enforced.
</Info>

***

## Abuse Score

Every ShuttleAI account has an **abuse score** from 0 to 100, visible in your dashboard. It represents how much of your plan's monthly budget you've consumed.

* Score **resets on the 1st of each month**
* The score is calculated as a percentage of your plan's monthly unit budget
* You can check your current score anytime via the dashboard

<Info>
  It's not just how high your score gets — it's **how fast**. A score of 25 reached gradually over a month is normal. A score of 25 reached in a few hours raises flags.
</Info>

The faster your abuse score climbs, the more likely it is to trigger review. Most users never exceed 50%.

<Tip>
  **Upgrading your plan directly lowers your abuse score.** Your score is a percentage of your plan's monthly unit budget — a higher-tier plan means a larger budget, so the same amount of usage translates to a lower score. If your score is climbing high, upgrading to a higher plan is the fastest way to bring it back down and give yourself more headroom.
</Tip>

***

## Concurrency & Rate Limits

Tokens alone don't tell the full story. We also enforce **concurrency and rate limits** per tier:

| Plan    | Concurrent Requests | RPM Cap  | TPM Cap  |
| ------- | ------------------- | -------- | -------- |
| Free    | 2                   | Low      | Low      |
| Basic   | 5                   | Moderate | Moderate |
| Premium | 15                  | High     | High     |
| Scale   | Custom              | Custom   | Custom   |

We track:

* Requests per minute (RPM)
* Parallel / concurrent requests
* Burst usage patterns
* Model mix usage

***

## Reselling & Proxy Detection

Reselling ShuttleAI access is the single biggest abuse risk. Someone buying a Premium plan and reselling GPT-5.2 access at a markup undermines the entire platform.

***

## Enforcement Thresholds

ShuttleAI uses your abuse score and the **rate of increase** to determine enforcement actions.

<Steps>
  <Step title="~25% — Review Inquiry">
    * If reached in a short amount of time, you may receive an email asking about your use case
    * No action taken — just a check-in
  </Step>

  <Step title="~50% — Warning">
    * Possible warning issued to your account
    * You'll be asked to slow down usage
  </Step>

  <Step title="100% — Key Deactivation">
    * Your API key is automatically deactivated
    * Support may restore your key
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Reaching 100% doesn't mean you're banned — it means your key is paused until a human can review your account. Most cases are resolved quickly.
</Note>

<Info>
  Rarely does anyone exceed 50%. If you're hitting these thresholds, it's likely a misconfiguration or runaway process — reach out on [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/shuttleai) and we'll help.
</Info>

***

## Transparency Policy

We believe in being transparent about **what** we protect against, without giving abusers a roadmap.

### Published (this page)

* Safe floor numbers per plan
* General abuse policy and enforcement steps
* Types of behavior we monitor

### Not Published

* Exact percentile formula
* Exact unit costs per model

If we exposed the exact math, people would game it.

***

## Summary

| Allowed                                       | Not Allowed                                 |
| --------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Using the API in your own app                 | Reselling API access to others              |
| Building tools for personal use               | Offering a proxy / wrapper API              |
| Moderate, direct application traffic          | Excessive or redistributed traffic          |
| Using a normal amount                         | 24/7 maxed-out bot-like usage               |
| Upgrading your plan to lower your abuse score | Staying on a low tier and hammering the API |

<Info>
  Questions about a specific use case? Reach out on [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/shuttleai) and we'll help you figure out if it fits.
</Info>