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

# Plan-Gate Validation Playbook

> How to validate feature gates, limits, credits, and downgrade behavior safely from the operator perspective

# Plan-Gate Validation Playbook

Use this playbook to validate that plan changes and entitlements behave correctly across the product.

## Core principle

Plan validation is not only checking prices and limits.\
You must verify:

* module visibility
* action-level enforcement
* usage and credit behavior
* downgrade impact and recovery behavior

## Step 1: Pre-change baseline snapshot

1. Record current plan tier and billing period.
2. Record active features in use (domains, webhooks, integrations, affiliate, API keys, tracking).
3. Record current usage against key limits (links, campaigns, team members, domains, webhooks).
4. Record credits state (plan credits vs purchased credits).

## Step 2: Validate upgrade behavior

1. Change to target higher plan in test-safe environment.
2. Confirm newly entitled tabs/modules appear.
3. Confirm formerly blocked actions now execute successfully.
4. Confirm pricing/credits reflect target plan.
5. Re-run key setup tasks that depended on prior gates (for example integrations or webhooks).

## Step 3: Validate downgrade behavior

1. Change to lower plan in controlled test cycle.
2. Confirm unsupported modules are disabled or hidden as policy requires.
3. Confirm over-limit resources are governed safely (not silently broken).
4. Confirm credits behavior follows policy (plan credits vs purchased credits).
5. Confirm downgrade-related warnings and actions are understandable to operators.

## Step 4: Validate gating across non-settings pages

Check not only Workspace settings but also:

* campaign/link creation surfaces
* analytics tabs and advanced views
* conversion tracking and revenue modules
* affiliate and integrations areas

Expected behavior:

* hidden features are unavailable across all entry points
* direct deep links to gated areas do not bypass enforcement

## Step 5: Validate limits and credit economics

Use a realistic traffic simulation and verify:

1. Usage increases against expected counters.
2. Credit deductions follow action costs.
3. Threshold alerts and auto-recharge policy operate correctly.
4. Hard limits block additional resource creation with clear feedback.

## Plan-change QA matrix

| Check area             | Upgrade expectation                         | Downgrade expectation                            |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| Tabs/modules           | Newly allowed modules appear                | Unsupported modules are blocked/hidden           |
| Actions                | Previously blocked actions become available | Gated actions return clear restriction behavior  |
| Limits                 | Higher ceilings become active               | Lower ceilings enforced without silent data loss |
| Credits                | New plan allocation applied                 | Lower allocation and carryover policy applied    |
| Integrations/affiliate | Newly entitled workflows become available   | Unsupported workflows are disabled safely        |

## Capacity and spend checks

Before campaign scale, verify:

1. projected click/conversion volume vs included credits
2. fraud-check policy impact on costs
3. top-up strategy and thresholds
4. plan-fit for required modules (not only resource counts)

## Common mistakes

* validating only sidebar visibility, not action execution
* comparing analytics across different plans without aligned retention windows
* assuming upgrade fixes over-limit resources automatically
* not testing downgrade recovery path before production billing changes

Related:

* `/user-guides/manual/monetization/plans-pricing-and-limits-reference`
* `/user-guides/manual/monetization/billing-plans-and-credits`
* `/user-guides/manual/workspace/workspace-tabs-and-plan-gates-reference`
* `/user-guides/manual/foundations/end-to-end-setup-playbooks`