FMP Plan Add-ons: Expand Bandwidth and API Calls Without Changing Your Base Plan

API usage can change quickly as a project grows. A new dashboard, a larger watchlist, more frequent refreshes, or a historical backfill can push an existing plan closer to its limits. FMP Plan Add-ons give eligible users a self-service way to add API call capacity or bandwidth from the customer dashboard without immediately moving to a different base plan.

The FMP developer changelog confirms that eligible users can adjust available add-on quantities, review the combined total, and see prorated charges before confirming. This article explains how the two capacity types differ, how to use the Add-ons tab, and what to check before purchasing more capacity.

Key Takeaways

• Eligible users can add API call capacity or bandwidth from the FMP dashboard.
• Available packages depend on the active subscription and appear only for eligible accounts.
• API call limits and bandwidth limits measure different types of usage.
• A capacity add-on should address sustained usage needs, not replace basic request optimization or troubleshooting.
• The confirmation dialog shows the combined total and applicable prorated charges before purchase.

What FMP Plan Add-ons Change

The Add-ons tab expands the capacity available through an active FMP plan. Users can select an available API Calls or Bandwidth package, adjust the quantity, review the resulting combined total, and confirm the available changes together. The tab appears only when the active subscription is eligible for one or more add-ons.

Add-ons increase capacity, but they do not change the datasets, historical coverage, geographic coverage, or product features included in the underlying plan. A user who needs access to a dataset or feature that is not included in the current subscription should compare the available FMP plans and data coverage rather than treating an add-on as an access upgrade.

This distinction matters because capacity and entitlement solve different problems. An add-on may help when a supported workflow is approaching an available usage limit. It does not make an unsupported endpoint, market, historical period, or premium dataset available to the account.

Understanding API Calls and Bandwidth

API calls measure the number or frequency of requests made to FMP. The applicable allowance depends on the base plan, with published limits expressed per day or per minute. Bandwidth measures the total volume of data returned, and FMP reports bandwidth usage over a trailing 30-day period.

A workflow combining company profile data with financial ratios may use relatively small responses but make frequent requests across many symbols. A historical or intraday workflow may make fewer requests while returning much larger responses. The first workload can put more pressure on call capacity, while the second can consume bandwidth more quickly.

The FMP dashboard displays current usage and available limits. Reviewing both measures helps users identify which resource is approaching capacity before deciding whether an add-on is appropriate.

How to Use the Add-ons Tab

Eligible users can manage available capacity from the customer dashboard:

1. Sign in and open the Add-ons tab.
2. Review the API Calls and Bandwidth packages available for the active subscription.
3. Select the resource that matches the identified capacity need.
4. Adjust the available quantity.
5. Review the updated combined total and prorated charge in the confirmation dialog.
6. Confirm the selected changes.

The options displayed in the dashboard are specific to the active plan. Users should rely on the quantities, totals, and charges shown in the interface rather than assuming that the same packages are available across every account.

Diagnose the Limit Before Adding Capacity

Reaching a usage constraint does not always mean that more capacity is the first or only solution. The observed issue should be matched to the correct limit before a user changes the plan.

Observed issue	What it may indicate	What to check first	When an add-on may help
HTTP 429 response	The applicable request-rate limit has been exceeded	Confirm the plan limit, request timing, concurrency, retry behavior, and whether requests can be batched, cached, or delayed	When optimized, legitimate request volume still requires additional call capacity and an eligible package is available
Bandwidth usage approaching its limit	Large or repeated responses are accumulating against the trailing 30-day allowance	Check response sizes, repeated downloads, historical date ranges, duplicated backfills, and caching	When the workflow still requires more returned data after unnecessary transfers are reduced
Slow processing	Local code, network conditions, response size, or downstream transformations may be contributing	Profile the application, inspect request duration, and separate API response time from local processing	Additional capacity is not automatically the appropriate response
Endpoint or data-access error	Authentication, parameters, plan entitlement, or endpoint availability may be the issue	Check the API key, request parameters, documentation, plan coverage, and API status	A capacity add-on does not resolve unsupported access or incorrect requests

The FMP API Quickstart identifies a 429 response as a rate-limit error and recommends reducing request volume or adding a delay. Techniques such as caching repeated results, lowering concurrency, batching work where supported, and using retry backoff can reduce avoidable requests. An API Calls add-on becomes relevant when the remaining demand is legitimate, sustained, and covered by an available package.

Bandwidth should be evaluated differently. Narrowing historical date ranges, avoiding repeated full downloads, caching previously retrieved data, and scheduling large backfills carefully can reduce unnecessary transfer volume. If the required data still approaches the displayed bandwidth allowance, an eligible Bandwidth add-on may provide the additional capacity the workflow needs.

Plan Capacity Around Actual Usage

The most reliable capacity decision starts with observed usage rather than a one-time failure. Teams should monitor the dashboard during representative workloads, identify whether calls or bandwidth are driving the constraint, and estimate how upcoming features or refresh schedules will affect consumption.

For example, expanding a watchlist from 100 to 1,000 companies may primarily increase request volume. Rebuilding several years of historical market data may place more pressure on bandwidth. Treating those workloads as separate capacity questions helps avoid purchasing the wrong resource.

After adding capacity, continue monitoring the same usage measure. The combined total shown in the Add-ons interface provides the new reference point, while application logs and dashboard usage help determine whether the workflow is operating within that capacity.

Add Capacity Without Rebuilding the Workflow

FMP Plan Add-ons give eligible users a more flexible way to respond when a supported workflow grows beyond its current capacity. The dashboard allows users to select the available resource, adjust quantities, review the combined total and prorated charge, and confirm the change without immediately selecting a different base plan.

The most useful approach is to diagnose the constraint first. Optimize avoidable requests and transfers, confirm that the underlying plan already includes the required data, and then use an available add-on when the workflow has a genuine capacity need.

FAQs

How do I access FMP Plan Add-ons?

Sign in to the FMP customer dashboard and look for the Add-ons tab. The tab appears only when the active subscription has eligible add-on options.

What types of capacity can I add?

Eligible accounts may see API Calls, Bandwidth, or both. The dashboard shows the packages and quantities available for the active subscription.

Do add-ons change my base plan?

Add-ons allow eligible users to expand available capacity without immediately moving to a different base plan. They do not unlock datasets, coverage, or features that are not included in the underlying subscription.

How is bandwidth usage measured?

FMP reports bandwidth against a trailing 30-day allowance. Users can review current bandwidth consumption and the applicable limit in the dashboard.

Will an API Calls add-on automatically resolve a 429 error?

Not necessarily. A 429 response means the applicable request-rate limit has been exceeded. Users should first review request timing, concurrency, caching, batching, and retry behavior, then consider available capacity options if legitimate demand still exceeds the applicable limit.

Are charges shown before confirmation?

The Add-ons interface displays the updated combined total and applicable prorated charges in the confirmation dialog before the user confirms the purchase.

Why do I not see the Add-ons tab?

The tab appears only for active subscriptions with available add-on options. Users who do not see it can compare current plan limits and coverage or contact the FMP support team for account-specific guidance.