---
title: "How are Monthly Active Users calculated?"
slug: "how-are-monthly-active-users-calculated"
updated: 2026-10-26T16:44:03Z
published: 2026-10-26T16:44:03Z
canonical: "help.userflow.com/how-are-monthly-active-users-calculated"
---

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

# How are Monthly Active Users calculated?

**Monthly Active Users** are calculated as the number of unique users who access any page where ’s script is embedded or on the standalone page in a given month. We don’t charge for inactive users who might be in your database but don’t sign in or visit your website during a given month.**‍**

**How do you differentiate unique users?** With Beamer, you have the option to track and process user data using standard parameters like `user_id`. This is a unique identification value that will help to track a user even if the other data parameters are changed such as logging on from a different device and ensure that it only counts as a single user, not multiple. We use this `user_id` to count your Monthly Active Users and it can help you understand what your users want and how they interact with your content (views, clicks, feedback, and more).If not, by default, Beamer will rely on a cookie stored in the browser to identify unique users. This approach is less reliable because:

- Users can clear their browser’s cookies.
- The same user can connect from different browsers/devices and each new device or browser that they access Beamer on will count towards your Monthly Active User count.

[**For more information on sending user data to Beamer and how it can help you understand your users better, check out this article.**](/beamer/docs/how-to-send-user-data-to-the-beamer-script)

## What happens if I exceed my MAU limit?

If you go over your plan’s Monthly Active User limit, the additional usage is billed in MAU bundles: **5,000 MAUs for $50/month** on Starter and Pro, **50,000 MAUs for $150/month** on Scale. Going over your MAU limit doesn’t usually restrict how you use Beamer. Your widget keeps running, your posts keep publishing, and you keep access to your account. The exception is a count far above your plan’s limit, usually caused by not sending `user_id`. In that case we contact you, and if it isn’t fixed we may block the account. See [What happens if I exceed my plan’s limits?](/beamer/docs/what-happens-if-i-exceed-my-plans-limits)

One thing it does affect: while you are over the limit of a lower plan, you cannot downgrade to that plan or cancel from your billing settings. Those controls are disabled while you are over it. See **If the downgrade button is disabled** in [How to downgrade or change your plan](/beamer/docs/how-to-downgrade-or-change-your-plan) for what to do.

When you’re approaching or over your limit, Beamer shows your current MAU usage in the dashboard header and surfaces an upgrade prompt in the top bar of your changelog standalone page. For the full picture, see [What happens if I exceed my plan’s limits?](/beamer/docs/what-happens-if-i-exceed-my-plans-limits)

Going over your limit and having an unpaid invoice are two different situations. Overage is billed and changes nothing about what you can do. An unpaid invoice does restrict your account — see [What happens if my Beamer payment is past due?](/beamer/docs/past-due-accounts)