Understand the QCDS Dashboard Request Usage Card

The Dashboard card labeled Requests used this month is an account-level counter for the signed-in Joomla user. It is not the same thing as the Basic or Pro Authorized-Domain signing allowance.

Understanding that distinction prevents a normal Dashboard number from being mistaken for a licensing or quota problem.

What the Card Counts

QCDS counts Requests whose sent_by value is the current Joomla user and whose sent_at time falls inside the current calendar month.

The month boundary is calculated in the workspace time zone and then converted to UTC for the database count. The card therefore answers: “How many Requests has this account sent during the current workspace-local month?”

When Optional User-Group Limits Are Off

If the optional Max/All Access User Group Limits feature is not enabled, the card shows only a number, such as 7, with the explanation that these are Requests sent by this account this month.

That number is informational. It is deliberately not displayed as “7 / 25” or another Basic/Pro plan quota.

When Optional User-Group Limits Are On

If User Group Limits are enabled, the same card shows the local account allowance:

  • A numeric allowance appears as used / limit and QCDS shows the number remaining.
  • An unlimited local allowance appears as used / Unlimited.

The applicable local allowance follows the QCDS Joomla-group resolution rules: inherited groups are considered, Unlimited overrides numeric values, otherwise the highest numeric allowance wins, and Joomla Super Users are locally unlimited.

Basic and Pro Plan Allowances Are Different

Basic and Pro monthly Request volume is Authorized-Domain plan policy. QCDS validates that server-authoritative allowance synchronously when Send Now is used.

The Dashboard card intentionally does not present that domain-level plan allowance as though it were this Joomla user's personal quota. A sender can therefore see an ordinary account count on the Dashboard while Send Now separately enforces the current Basic/Pro entitlement.

Why the Number May Differ from Other Request Counts

  • The Dashboard usage card is per sender account, not a total of every sender in the workspace.
  • It counts sent Requests by sent date within the current month, rather than only Requests that are still unsigned.
  • The normal Dashboard status metrics such as Unsigned, Completed, and Archived answer different questions and should not be expected to match this card.
  • The workspace time zone controls the month window, so changing the time zone near the first/last day of a month can move a boundary.

Check a Suspected Usage Problem

  1. Confirm which Joomla account is signed in.
  2. Check the workspace Time zone.
  3. If local User Group Limits are enabled, review that user's effective group allowance.
  4. If Send Now reports a Basic/Pro plan limit, troubleshoot the current entitlement/Authorized-Domain allowance rather than using the Dashboard card as proof of the plan quota.

Community Discussion

Want to compare workflows, share practical tips, or discuss how you use this QCDS feature? Visit the QC Digital Signature Community. For private support, bug reports, account-specific issues, or feature requests, use the QuantaCade support system.