# Set a space budget

Cap the monthly spend of a Division, Unit or Team. The gateway refuses requests once the budget is used up.

## Before you begin

- You need the Owner or Admin role, or you manage a space above the one you're budgeting. [Roles and permissions](https://docs.atlas.ilionx.dev/reference/roles-and-permissions.md) lists what each role can do.
- A space manager can't set the budget of their own space. A manager of the parent space or an Admin does.
- The space isn't the organisation's root space, which can't carry a budget.
- If a parent space has a budget, the new amount must fit inside it.

## Set the budget

1. In the sidebar, open **Spaces**.
2. Open the ⋮ menu on the space and select **Set budget**. For spaces deeper in the tree, the entry reads **Set allocation**.
3. Enter the monthly amount in euros.
4. Check the hint under the field. If it reads "Exceeds €X available.", lower the amount. The parent space has only that much left to give.
5. Select **Save**. It stays disabled until the amount fits.

You can also open the space and select its **Budget** (or **Allocation**) tab. Fill in **Monthly budget (€)** (or **Monthly allocation (€)**) and select **Save budget** (or **Save allocation**). **Reset** restores the saved value.

**Result:** the space and everything below it is capped at the amount. A **Monthly budget saved** message appears (**Monthly allocation saved** for spaces deeper in the tree). An empty field means unlimited, and `0` freezes all spending.

> [!NOTE]
> **Moving a space clears budgets**
>
> Moving a space to a new parent clears the budgets of that space and all its descendants.

## Troubleshooting

Look up any code at `https://<atlas-host>/errors/<code>`, where `<atlas-host>` is your ATLAS host. [Errors](https://docs.atlas.ilionx.dev/reference/errors.md) explains how ATLAS reports them.

| Cause                                                                                       | Code       | What to do                                   |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| You are not an Owner, an Admin or a manager above the space                                 | `ERR-0061` | Ask a manager above the space                |
| The amount would exceed a parent's budget, or is below the total of the space's descendants | `ERR-0059` | Lower the siblings or raise the parent first |
| Unlimited was entered beneath a parent that has a budget                                    | `ERR-0063` | Enter an amount                              |
| The amount is above the tightest ancestor's ceiling                                         | `ERR-0064` | Enter a lower amount                         |
| The space is the organisation root                                                          | `ERR-0065` | Budget a direct child instead                |
| The amount is below existing fixed member allocations in a Team                             | `ERR-0060` | Reduce the allocations first                 |

## Related

- [Split a Team budget between members](https://docs.atlas.ilionx.dev/guides/admin/budget-and-cost-allocate-a-team-budget.md)
- [Budget rules](https://docs.atlas.ilionx.dev/reference/budgets.md)
- [Budget and cost](https://docs.atlas.ilionx.dev/concepts/budget-and-cost.md#budget-tree)