Overview
GPT-6 Astra is designed for especially demanding work. This guide explains your Work and Codex allowance, model and reasoning settings, and the options available when you reach a limit.
How your allowance works in Work and Codex
Work and Codex share the usage allowance included with your plan. How much work that allowance covers depends on your plan or workspace seat, the model you choose, and the task and settings you use.
Work and Codex usage is included with Plus and Pro plans and Business Standard and Premium seats. See usage limits for your plan for details.
Depending on your plan, usage limits may apply over a five-hour window and a weekly window. Where both apply, you need allowance remaining in both to continue:
The five-hour limit determines how much usage is included in each window. A new window starts when you send your first message in Work or Codex after the previous window ends.
The weekly limit controls how much included work you can use over the weekly usage period.
You may reach the five-hour limit before five hours have passed, even if you still have weekly usage remaining. Check Settings → Usage for your current allowance and reset times. Limits vary by plan. See Work and Codex usage guidance and Business models and limits.
The table below shows estimated local messages per five-hour period. These are not fixed message limits. Actual usage varies by task, model and settings, and weekly limits may also apply.
| Model | Plus | Pro 5x | Pro 20x | Standard Business | API Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-6 Astra | 5-45 | 25-225 | 100-900 | 5-45 | Usage-based |
| GPT-5.6 Sol | 10-100 | 50-500 | 200-2,000 | 10-100 | Usage-based |
| GPT-5.6 Terra | 25-200 | 125-1,000 | 500-4,000 | 25-200 | Usage-based |
| GPT-5.6 Luna | 250-2,000 | 1,250-10,000 | 5,000-40,000 | 250-2,000 | Usage-based |
| GPT-5.5 | 15-80 | 75-400 | 300-1,600 | 15-80 | Usage-based |
| GPT-5.4 | 20-100 | 100-500 | 400-2,000 | 20-100 | Usage-based |
| GPT-5.4 mini | 60-350 | 300-1,750 | 1,200-7,000 | 60-350 | Usage-based |
In Chat, GPT-6 Pro is powered by Astra and is available on eligible Pro, Business and Enterprise plans. Its message limits are separate from the shared Work and Codex allowance and vary by plan. Plus includes Astra in Work and Codex, but not GPT-6 Pro in Chat.
For Pro and Business plans, read more about included Chat allowances. Enterprise users should refer to the ChatGPT Rate Card for more information on pricing for GPT-6 Pro.
How tasks use your allowance
Different models can use different amounts of your allowance for the same task. Larger inputs and outputs, higher reasoning settings, Fast mode and tasks with multiple steps can also increase usage.
Choose a model for your task
Work and Codex offer models with different strengths. Choose based on the task, the capability you need, and your preferences for speed and usage.
GPT-6 Astra: Our most capable model for coding, research, analysis, and complex problem-solving—for example, investigating a difficult bug or working through an unfamiliar problem.
GPT-5.6 Sol: A strong balance of capability and efficiency for coding, research, and professional work—for example, implementing a feature or synthesizing research.
GPT-5.6 Terra: A balance of speed, capability, and cost for everyday work—for example, drafting a report, analyzing a document, or making a routine code change.
GPT-5.6 Luna: A fast, economical option for focused or repetitive tasks—for example, extracting information, categorizing items, or making short edits.
Available models depend on your account and workspace.
Choose a reasoning level
Reasoning level controls how much thought the model puts into a task. You can adjust it separately from your model choice.
Lower effort: A useful starting point when you want a faster response or to make your allowance go further.
Medium effort: A balance of response time and deeper reasoning.
Higher effort: Useful for difficult problems that benefit from more extensive analysis. Higher effort can use more of your allowance and does not always produce a better result.
Lower effort does not mean lower capability across models. For example, Astra at Low effort can outperform Sol at High effort. If you’ve been getting good results with Sol at High, try Astra at Low or Medium as a starting point.
If a result misses something you asked for, check that the instructions are clear and that the model has the files, connected apps and permissions it needs. Increasing reasoning effort cannot supply missing information or access. Review progress and usage before trying a higher setting.
A reasoning level does not set a fixed amount of usage for a task or guarantee a better result.
Before starting a task
Check Settings → Usage before a large task to see your remaining allowance, usage windows and reset times.
Choose the model and reasoning level before starting, and review the result before increasing effort.
Fast mode provides faster responses and uses more of your included allowance. See Fast mode for supported models and current rates.
If you reach a limit, check Settings → Usage to see which limit you’ve reached and when it resets. Depending on your account, you may be able to wait for the reset, use a saved reset, or continue with eligible credits. Review the options shown for your account. Switching models does not restore allowance in a shared usage pool.
Banked, automatic, and purchased resets
A banked reset is saved to your account until you use it or it expires. A full banked reset refreshes your five-hour and weekly Work and Codex limits and changes your weekly reset date. A saved reset is used only when it successfully refreshes at least one eligible usage window.
To use a saved reset, open Settings → Usage in the ChatGPT desktop app and select an option such as “1 reset available” or “Full reset.” Check what it resets and when it expires before confirming. If none of the eligible limits needs a reset, it stays available for later. Read more about banked resets.
An automatic or global reset refreshes the eligible usage limits specified in the announcement. You don’t need to apply it yourself, and it won’t appear as a saved reset in Settings.
Purchased instant resets are available to eligible personal ChatGPT Plus and Pro accounts, depending on your account and billing country. A purchased reset refreshes your five-hour and weekly Work and Codex allowance as soon as checkout succeeds, even if you still have usage remaining. It cannot be saved for later. Purchasing a reset brings your weekly allowance forward. Your new weekly period starts with your first Work or Codex request after the reset, and your next automatic weekly reset is seven days after that request.
Resets offered during the Astra launch
On Sep 3, 2026 and Sep 4, 2026, eligible existing Plus, Pro and Business subscribers in good standing received a banked reset on each day. Business Standard and Premium seats were included.
For the Sep 3, 2026 offer, new eligible Plus, Pro and Business accounts needed to be created and subscribed before 10 p.m. PT that day. For the Sep 4, 2026 offer, the cutoff was 8 p.m. PT that day. Business seats also needed to exist before the relevant cutoff.
On Sep 7, 2026, an automatic reset refreshed eligible Plus, Pro and Business usage limits. It did not add a saved reset.
The daily reset offers covered the broader Astra launch delay. Individual access issues after launch do not qualify you for an additional reset.
Eligibility and delivery timing depend on the offer, including its plan, region, account-status and availability requirements. A reset restores your allowance. It does not permanently increase your plan’s limits or change how much allowance a task uses.
Update your ChatGPT desktop app
If Astra is missing, check for updates even if you recently installed one. Your app may need another update and a full restart.
Open the ChatGPT desktop app and select Menu → Check for Updates. On Mac, use the app menu in the menu bar at the top of your screen.
Install any available update, then fully quit and reopen the app.
Check for updates again. If another update is available, install it and restart once more. Then check the model picker and Settings → Usage in the account or workspace you intend to use.
Updating helps the app show the features available to your account. Model access still depends on your plan, workspace permissions and rollout eligibility. Updating does not change your eligibility for a reset. See the current Astra availability guidance for more information.
Frequently asked questions
Why have I reached a limit again after using a reset?
A reset restores your allowance, but your plan’s normal limits still apply. If your plan has both five-hour and weekly limits, you can reach the five-hour limit while you still have weekly usage remaining. Open Settings → Usage to see which limit you’ve reached and when it resets. If the usage seems incorrect, contact Support using the details listed below.
Why can’t I find my banked reset?
Make sure you’re checking the right account and workspace, then refresh Settings → Usage. Check whether you met the offer’s eligibility requirements and whether the reset has expired. An automatic reset refreshes the eligible limits directly, so it won’t appear as a saved reset. If you expected a banked reset and still can’t find it, or think it was applied incorrectly, contact Support. Support can check whether you qualified and whether something went wrong. Any correction depends on what that review finds; Support does not grant additional resets as a courtesy.
What’s the difference between a reset, my usage percentage and credits?
A reset refreshes the usage allowance it covers. Your usage percentage shows how much allowance you’ve used or have remaining; check the label to see which. Credits pay for eligible additional usage under their own terms. A reset is not cash or API credit. After using a saved reset, you may see 0% used and no saved resets left. This can mean your allowance was refreshed and the saved reset was used.
Will buying credits or upgrading give me access to Astra?
Before buying credits or changing plans, check Astra’s availability for the plan, product and workspace you intend to use. Credits pay for usage; they do not add model access.
Is Astra in Work the same as GPT-6 Pro in Chat?
GPT-6 Pro in Chat is powered by Astra, but Chat has its own model availability and message limits. Work and Codex share a separate usage allowance. Having access to Astra in Work does not automatically include access to GPT-6 Pro in Chat.
What should I do if a model is missing or shows an error?
Check that you’re signed in to the account and workspace you intend to use and that the model is available for your plan and workspace. Then follow the app update steps above.
If you see a usage-limit message, open Settings → Usage to check your remaining allowance and reset times. Resets refresh usage allowance; they do not change which models your plan or workspace can access.
If the model is still missing or an error continues, contact Support with the error message, if there is one, and the date and time you noticed the problem.
How can I get help with a task or unexpected usage?
Contact Support if you need help with a task that didn’t finish, a result you can’t use, usage you don’t understand, or a reset you didn’t mean to apply. Tell us what happened and what you expected. To help us understand the issue, include:
The app or product, your plan, and a link or reference to the task or conversation, if available.
The date, time and timezone, along with the model, reasoning level and Fast mode setting you used.
The usage limit or credit balance you’re asking about, any error message and screenshots you already have.