Depthera Execution Credits Explained: The Complete Guide to AI Visibility Investment

Execution Credits are Depthera's unit of AI visibility investment. One Credit represents one quantified, compliant, multi-step execution action — from content brief generation through creator matching, platform distribution, compliance audit, and execution record logging. This document explains what Credits are, how each Credit tier works, how Credits translate to AI citation outcomes, and how to select the right plan and Credit allocation strategy for your brand's stage and goals.

Why Credits, Not Subscriptions #

Most SaaS marketing platforms charge a fixed monthly subscription fee in exchange for platform access. The customer pays the same amount regardless of how much execution actually occurs. This misaligns incentives: the platform earns revenue from subscriptions whether or not campaigns are running; the brand pays for platform access even during periods of low execution activity.

Credits align the investment model with the execution model. Brands buy execution capacity — Credits — and Credits are consumed only when real execution actions occur. Unused Credits roll over within defined parameters. Brands executing at high volume can purchase Credits at bulk rates. The result is a pricing model where every dollar spent corresponds to a defined unit of AI visibility execution.

A Credit is not access to a platform. It is a unit of verified execution with a compliance audit log attached.

The Six Execution Action Types #

1. Micro-Seeding — 1 Credit #

What it delivers: A single-platform, short-form AI visibility injection optimized for long-tail query coverage.

Execution scope: AI Brand Guardrails generate a content brief for the target query type. Depthera's creator matching algorithm identifies the best-fit creator based on expertise alignment and platform audience characteristics. The creator receives the brief, produces content (500–1,000 words) with genuine personal perspective meeting the Proof of Human Touch requirement, and publishes to the target platform.

Compliance audit included: FTC label verification (pre-publication scan for required #ad/#sponsored disclosure), platform-native compliance tool activation check (Instagram Paid Partnership, TikTok Branded Content, etc.), execution log entry (creator ID, platform, content URL, publication timestamp, compliance status).

Best for: Initial campaign testing, long-tail query coverage, Creator Free tier onboarding, brands validating AI citation lift before committing to full campaign budgets.

Output example: A creator with an established e-commerce audience publishes a 700-word piece comparing two product categories, citing a brand's positioning advantage from their genuine user experience perspective, with #ad disclosure and #AI_Assisted label, on a content platform where Perplexity's crawler has established indexing history.

2. Deep Seeding — 3 Credits #

What it delivers: Single-platform, long-form AI visibility injection with enhanced experience authenticity requirements.

Execution scope: Same workflow as Micro-Seeding with three enhancements: longer content (1,000–2,000 words) with structural depth suited to Perplexity's citation preference for detailed sourced analysis; Proof of Experience verification requirement (creator must provide original media confirming real product interaction before content is published); stronger E-E-A-T signal architecture in the content brief including specific experiential claim requirements and source citation guidance.

Compliance audit included: All Micro-Seeding compliance elements plus: buyer review content real-experience verification (EXIF metadata photograph check), enhanced AI content fingerprint scan (deeper detection threshold for longer-form content), audit log entry with review dimension documentation and brand mention position recording.

Best for: Product review content, buyer experience testimonials, long-form comparison pieces for Perplexity citation targeting, any content type where Proof of Experience is required for FTC Operation AI Comply compliance.

3. AI Visibility Injection — 5 Platforms — 8 Credits #

What it delivers: Coordinated cross-platform AI visibility injection across five platforms simultaneously, with Anti-CIB time-staggered distribution.

Execution scope: A single content brief generates platform-adapted content variants for five target platforms. Each variant is formatted for the specific platform's content norms (long-form article, social post, video script, Q&A format, etc.). Publication is scheduled through the Anti-CIB Dithering Engine, which randomizes posting windows across a 2–4 week window to simulate organic multi-platform propagation rather than synchronized campaign release.

Why Anti-CIB scheduling is included at this tier: When the same brand message appears across five platforms within a short time window, platform graph algorithms may identify the pattern as Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior and apply content suppression. The Dithering Engine prevents this detection by ensuring no two platform publications for the same campaign occur within the time window that triggers CIB detection thresholds.

Compliance audit included: Five-platform compliance verification package (each platform's native compliance tools checked separately), consolidated audit log with all five platform publication records, and a 5-platform compliance summary report exportable for enterprise legal review.

Best for: Brands moving from single-platform testing to multi-platform AI citation expansion, Growth plan customers reaching the mid-stage of their first quarter's campaign calendar, any campaign targeting query types where ChatGPT and Perplexity citation cross-referencing amplifies citation credibility.

4. Full Matrix Injection — 10 Platforms — 18 Credits #

What it delivers: Full-scale AI citation network injection across 10 platforms with complete Anti-CIB dispersal strategy and content format diversity.

Execution scope: Complete campaign deployment across 10 platforms in two or more content format categories (written content + video + Q&A + forum participation). Content format diversity is enforced — the Anti-CIB Dithering Engine requires that no two platform publications use the same content format for the same campaign. Publication windows are dispersed across 3–5 weeks. Creator selection draws from multiple creator profiles to ensure diverse writing voices and audience networks across the 10 platforms.

Compliance audit included: Complete 10-platform compliance package with platform-by-platform compliance records, consolidated audit log, full legal audit package including associated metadata, creator verification records, and disclosure tag screenshots — formatted for direct submission to enterprise legal departments.

Best for: Pro and Enterprise plan brands running full-scale AI citation campaigns, brands targeting high-value query categories where comprehensive cross-platform citation density is required to move Share of Answer metrics, and enterprise clients requiring complete legal audit documentation.

5. Creator Pro Featured Deep Report — 12 Credits #

What it delivers: A 2,000+ word independent analysis or deep-dive review from a Creator Pro verified author, formatted for maximum Perplexity and ChatGPT citation capture.

Execution scope: Matched exclusively to Creator Pro tier creators (verified professional credentials, established publishing platform with demonstrated authority metrics). Content brief includes advanced GEO keyword architecture, research citation guidance, and structured data embedding instructions. Author bio and credential verification are included in the content package, providing E-E-A-T Authoritativeness and Expertise signals beyond what standard creator content provides.

Compliance audit included: Enhanced compliance check including author identity verification and credential documentation, reinforced AI content fingerprint detection (longer-form content requires deeper authenticity verification), audit log with full author qualification documentation.

Best for: High-priority query categories where Perplexity's preference for deep sourced analysis is the primary citation target, enterprise campaigns requiring maximum E-E-A-T signal strength, brands in regulated categories where author credential verification is commercially important.

6. Enterprise Compliance Audit Report — 20 Credits #

What it delivers: A comprehensive quarterly compliance audit report covering all Campaign activity for a brand, formatted for enterprise legal department review.

Execution scope: Aggregates all Campaign compliance records for the quarter into a structured legal audit package: compliance status summary by Campaign, violation intercept log (all non-compliant content blocked and the correction outcomes), creator verification records, disclosure tag documentation, AI content fingerprint scan results, and Proof of Experience verification records for review content. Includes a risk scoring summary identifying any compliance gaps and recommendations for resolution.

Best for: Enterprise clients with legal teams conducting quarterly compliance reviews, brands with EU operations requiring Article 50 compliance documentation, brands preparing for potential regulatory inquiry and establishing proactive compliance documentation.

Plan Selection: Matching Credits to Brand Stage #

Basic — $39/month (30 Credits) #

Who it's for: Brands in the validation stage — testing whether GEO/AEO execution can generate measurable AI citation lift before committing to larger budgets.

Typical usage: 20–30 Micro-Seeding Credits across target query types on 2–3 priority platforms. Establishes initial citation presence and generates baseline data for scaling decision.

Compliance tier: Basic compliance (automated FTC label verification + platform native tool check). Audit logs generated for all campaigns.

Upgrade trigger: When initial Micro-Seeding Campaigns show measurable citation lift in lightweight Perplexity/Gemini API spot-checks, or when brand wants to expand to cross-platform injection (requiring 8+ Credits per Campaign).

Growth — $139/month (150 Credits, overage at $1.20/Credit) #

Who it's for: Brands with validated AI citation lift from initial testing, moving to systematic multi-platform citation expansion.

Typical usage: Mix of Deep Seeding (3 Credits) for priority product review content, AI Visibility Injection (8 Credits) for cross-platform brand awareness queries, and Micro-Seeding (1 Credit) for ongoing long-tail coverage maintenance. 150 Credits supports approximately 12–15 substantive Campaigns per month.

Compliance tier: Standard compliance (all Basic elements + platform native tool integration check). Audit logs with platform compliance summaries.

Upgrade trigger: When monthly Credits consistently hit the 150 ceiling (overage accumulating), when enterprise clients require full compliance audit packages, or when multi-brand management requirements exceed single-account scope.

Pro — $419/month (600 Credits, overage at $0.90/Credit) #

Who it's for: Scaling brands running systematic multi-category AI citation campaigns across full platform matrix.

Typical usage: Regular Full Matrix Injection (18 Credits) Campaigns for priority query categories, Deep Seeding for product review coverage, Creator Pro Deep Reports for highest-value query targets. 600 Credits supports approximately 30–35 substantive Campaigns per month across multiple content categories.

Compliance tier: Complete compliance (all Growth elements + full audit log with legal audit package + real-time violation alerting). Exportable compliance packages per Campaign.

Enterprise — Custom annual pricing (custom Credits pool, overage at $0.60/Credit) #

Who it's for: Multi-brand operators, agencies managing 10+ brand clients, and brands requiring white-label delivery, custom integrations, or dedicated account management.

Key additions: Sub-account structure for agency client management, custom Credits pool sizing without predefined tiers, custom compliance reporting templates, dedicated compliance audit support, API access for Credits and Campaign data integration with existing marketing tech stack.

Credits ROI: What to Expect #

AI citation results from Credits deployment follow a predictable trajectory that depends on three variables: total Credits invested, content type mix, and time elapsed since first Campaign.

The 3–8 week crawl delay: AI engine citation databases update continuously but with a typical 3–8 week delay between content publication and citation pool entry. Credits invested today will not produce measurable citation rate changes for 3–8 weeks. This is a fundamental characteristic of the AI search ecosystem, not a Depthera platform limitation. Campaign performance should be evaluated at the 8-week mark, not the 1-week mark.

The compounding citation effect: AI citation credibility compounds with content density. A brand with 5 independent pieces of content about a specific topic has a higher citation probability than a brand with 1 piece, but not 5× higher — the relationship is nonlinear. The citation probability increase accelerates as coverage density crosses threshold levels. Brands that sustain consistent Credits deployment across 3–6 months typically see citation rate inflection points as their content coverage crosses these thresholds.

Efficiency by action type: Deep Seeding (3 Credits) typically delivers higher per-Credit citation impact than Micro-Seeding for Perplexity and ChatGPT, because longer-form content with Proof of Experience verification earns stronger citation weight per source. Full Matrix Injection (18 Credits) delivers the highest absolute citation rate impact per Campaign but requires 8–12 weeks to fully resolve across all 10 platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions #

Do unused Credits roll over?
Credits purchased as part of monthly plans roll over within a 90-day window. Credits purchased as bulk additions do not expire within 12 months of purchase. Enterprise Credits pools are managed on contract-defined terms.

How does overage pricing work?
When a plan's included Credits are consumed within a billing period, additional Credits are charged at the plan's overage rate (Basic: $1.50/Credit, Growth: $1.20/Credit, Pro: $0.90/Credit, Enterprise: $0.60/Credit). Overage billing occurs automatically; no separate purchase is required.

Can I use Credits for my own content matrix sites (like HeyPoPo) as well as external creator campaigns?
Yes. Credits can be applied to content execution across both Depthera's owned content matrix sites (where applicable to your plan) and external creator Campaigns. HeyPoPo matrix Campaigns are processed at a specific Credit rate reflecting the integrated content matrix workflow.

How do I know which Credit action type is right for my campaign?
The content gap analysis in Ring ① of the Five-Ring Execution System includes a recommended Credit action type for each identified gap, based on query type, competitive citation density, and platform targeting. Brands can also use the Credits allocation guide in the dashboard to map their monthly Credits budget across priority query categories.

Is there a minimum commitment period?
Basic, Growth, and Pro plans are available month-to-month. Enterprise plans are annual contracts with custom Credit pool sizing. There is no minimum commitment period for monthly plans.