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

# How MailChannels counts usage

> MailChannels bills based on the number of messages accepted by the Outbound Filtering service, including messages identified as spam.

When your mail server relays email through MailChannels, each successfully authenticated SMTP connection is counted toward your usage — regardless of whether the message is ultimately delivered, blocked, or identified as spam.

Filtering and blocking spam is part of the service. Preventing that spam from reaching recipients is exactly what Outbound Filtering does, and the cost of that filtering is reflected in your usage count.

## Why spam messages are counted

Charging for every message your infrastructure submits — including spam — gives you a direct economic incentive to act quickly when abuse is detected on your platform. When a compromised account starts generating blocked traffic that appears on your invoice, you have every reason to investigate and shut it down.

For a full explanation of the reasoning behind this policy, see [Why we charge for rejected emails](/outbound/billing/why-we-charge-for-rejected-emails).

## How MailChannels limits your exposure

MailChannels has built-in protections to reduce the impact of sudden abuse spikes:

* **Rate limiting** — if an account suddenly sends significantly more volume than usual, MailChannels throttles it automatically.
* **Monitors & Alerts** — when unusual activity is detected, MailChannels notifies you via the [Monitors](/outbound/monitors-alerts) feature in the Host Console so you can act quickly.