AI-generated Key Takeaways
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Spreading large workloads across multiple Earth Engine accounts degrades performance for other users and violates the Terms of Service.
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Instead of using multiple accounts, try to make your export tasks more efficient or request additional quota for non-commercial or research use.
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Accounts found to be spreading usage across multiple accounts may be restricted, resulting in lower prioritization and longer completion times for batch tasks.
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Continued distribution of tasks after acknowledging the policy against multiple accounts may result in blocked access, preventing the initiation of new batch tasks.
Spreading Earth Engine Usage Across Multiple Accounts
Because Earth Engine is a shared computing resource, spreading a large or complex workload across multiple accounts degrades the performance of Earth Engine for other platform users.
Using multiple Earth Engine accounts to simulate or act as a single account is a violation of the Earth Engine Terms of Service. This applies even if the accounts are owned by separate individuals who are collaborating on work. We enforce this policy by restricting accounts which violate the Terms of Service.
Alternatives
You can get large workloads done on Earth Engine without distributing your work across multiple accounts.
- Rather than using multiple accounts, we ask that you try to make your export tasks more efficient. Please review the Scaling errors and Debugging methods sections of the Earth Engine documentation for suggestions. You may also benefit from discussing your approach with others on the Earth Engine Developer Forum.
- If you need additional quota for non-commercial or research use of Earth Engine, you can submit a request for additional quota ("uplift") beyond the standard quota that comes with platform access. We review all applications, with a focus on environmental and social impact at scale.
Restricted Access
If the Earth Engine team determines that your account appears to be spreading usage across multiple accounts or registering multiple accounts for that purpose, you may be restricted. While restricted, you are able to run Earth Engine batch tasks, but your tasks will be prioritized lower than other users' tasks. As a result, they will take longer to complete.
When you load the Earth Engine Code Editor, you will be presented with the option to acknowledge that you understand that Earth Engine usage should not be spread across multiple accounts. If you acknowledge this, your account will no longer be restricted.
Blocked Access
Your account may be blocked if you continue distributing tasks after acknowledging that you understand that Earth Engine usage should not be spread across multiple accounts. Blocked accounts cannot start new batch tasks.
Please fill out the appeal form if you believe you have been blocked in error. Note that we will not be able to respond to all requests.