Style Guide: Quota vs. Limit

This guide defines the usage of "quota," "limit," and related terms in user-facing interfaces.

TL;DR

quota: The administrative "bucket." Use for settings, billing, and requesting increases. (e.g., "Adjust your storage quota.")
limit: The real-time numerical "ceiling." Use for error messages when a user is blocked. (e.g., "You've reached your request limit.")
When blocked, combine them: Explain the limit that was hit and the quota that is the remedy. (e.g., "You've reached the request limit for your developer quota.")
Related terms: Use usage for consumption tracking, restriction for fixed rules, and reset for when a limit refreshes.

Quota is the "what": It identifies the category of resource being managed (e.g., storage quota, GPU quota, request/prompt quota).
Limit is the "how much": It defines the numerical boundary.

Use quota when referring to the administrative concept or the request for more. Use limit when discussing the specific point of exhaustion.

Use this term for account management, billing, and settings. It describes the entitlement the user has purchased or been assigned.

Examples:

Navigation label: Quota and usage
Contextual help: Your usage quota is managed by your organization. To request an increase, contact your administrator.

Use this term for real-time feedback, notifications, and error messages. It identifies the specific wall the user just hit.

Examples:

When a user is blocked, combine both terms to explain the event (limit) and the remedy (quota).

Example:

Heading: Daily usage limit reached
Body: You've reached the maximum daily capacity for your developer quota. To continue working today, upgrade your quota.