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Cost Explorer

A page for analyzing and visualizing AWS cost data from various perspectives.

Cost

Key Features​

Cost Summary​

  • This Month: Month-to-date accumulated cost
  • Last Month: Total cost from previous month
  • Projected: Projected end-of-month cost (estimated based on current date)
  • Daily Avg: Daily average cost
  • MoM Change: Month-over-month change rate
  • Services: Number of services incurring costs

Time Range Filter​

OptionDescription
This MonthCurrent month only
3 MonthsLast 3 months
6 MonthsLast 6 months
1 YearLast 1 year

Service Filter​

Select specific services to analyze. When multiple services are selected, the sum of those services is displayed.

Visualizations​

  • Daily Cost Trend: Daily cost trend for the last 30 days
  • Monthly Cost Trend: Monthly cost trend
  • Cost by Service (Top 8): Pie chart showing top 8 services by cost share
  • Top 10 Services: Bar chart showing top 10 services

Service Details​

Click on a service row to view in the slide panel:

  • Total cost per service
  • Monthly cost trend line chart
  • Monthly breakdown details

How to Use​

  1. Select Time Range: Choose the analysis period (1m, 3m, 6m, 12m)
  2. Service Filter: Click the Services button to filter specific services
  3. Check Charts: Review cost trends and service distribution
  4. Detailed Analysis: Click a service row for monthly breakdown
MSP Environment Auto-Detection

In Managed Service Provider (MSP) environments, Cost Explorer API access may be restricted. AWSops automatically detects this and displays alternative data.

Usage Tips​

Identifying Cost Spike Causes​

  1. If MoM Change is high (>10%), check the Change column in the service table
  2. Click services with Change >20% to view monthly trends
  3. If there was a spike in a specific month, check resource change history for that period

Budget Management​

Check the Projected value for end-of-month cost estimate. If you're likely to exceed budget:

  • Clean up unused resources
  • Review Reserved Instances/Savings Plans
  • Optimize resource sizing

Identifying Cost Optimization Targets​

Review services with high cost share in the Share column as priority optimization candidates.

Cost Explorer Unavailable Environments

In environments where Cost Explorer is disabled, snapshot data is displayed. A "Showing cached data" banner appears along with the last cache timestamp.

costEnabled Toggle​

Use the Cost toggle at the bottom of the sidebar to enable or disable Cost Explorer functionality. Disable it in MSP environments to reduce API calls.

AI Analysis Tips​

Example questions using the Cost Gateway (11 tools) in AI Assistant:

  • "Analyze why costs increased this month"
  • "Recommend EC2 cost optimization strategies"
  • "Calculate savings if we convert to Reserved Instances"
  • "Show 3-month cost forecast by service"
  • "Analyze costs by tag"