Moderation Actions are the usage unit of Cloudinary Moderation - they're how your plan's moderation capacity is measured. This article explains how they're counted and how to keep an eye on your balance.
How usage is counted
Every time one rule checks one asset, that's a moderation action. So the cost of a run is roughly:
number of assets × number of rules
For example, checking 100 images against a policy with 4 rules uses about 400 Moderation Actions. Some advanced checks that rely on heavier analysis may use more actions per asset.
Both one-time runs and automations draw from the same quota — an automation quietly moderating every upload consumes actions just like a manual run does.
Check your balance
Go to Settings > Quota Usage. You'll see your current usage ("X of Y Moderation Actions"), a progress bar, and - as you approach the limit - a status label: Getting low, Almost out, or Quota reached.
When you don't have enough
Before a run starts, Moderation checks whether you have enough actions for it. If not, you'll see "Not Enough Moderation Actions" with the required and available amounts. Reduce the number of assets or rules, or request a higher limit.
To increase your quota, use the Contact Us button in Settings or contact Cloudinary support.
Tips
Trim policies to the rules you actually act on - every extra rule multiplies the cost of each run.
For very large libraries, moderate in batches (a folder at a time) rather than everything at once.
If an automation watches a high-volume folder, check quota usage weekly at first to learn your burn rate.