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Alerts Guide

Learn how to set up alerts in CloudWise to monitor your AWS spending and detect cost anomalies.

Types of Alerts​

CloudWise offers two types of alerts:

Alert TypeDescriptionAvailability
Budget AlertsManual threshold-based alertsAll tiers
Anomaly DetectionAutomatic cost spike detectionShield tier

Budget Alerts​

Budget alerts notify you when your AWS costs reach specific thresholds you define.

Setting Up Budget Alerts​

Step 1: Navigate to Alerts​

  1. Log into your CloudWise dashboard
  2. Go to Settings, then Budget Alerts (under Notifications)
  3. Click "Create Alert"

Step 2: Configure Your Alert​

  1. Alert Name: Give your alert a descriptive name
  2. Threshold Amount: Set your spending limit (e.g., $500)
  3. Notification Email: Enter the email address to receive alerts
  4. AWS Account: Select which account to monitor

Step 3: Save and Activate​

  1. Review your settings
  2. Click "Create Alert" to save
  3. Your alert is now active. Each day CloudWise compares your spend over the Budget Period you chose with the threshold amount and notifies you when it crosses each threshold percentage you set

How Budget Alerts Work​

  • Rolling period: Alerts track your spend over the Budget Period you pick (a rolling window of recent days, not a calendar month, limited by your plan's history window)
  • Email Notifications: You'll receive an email when your threshold is reached
  • Slack Notifications: Optionally receive real-time Slack messages with spend breakdowns
  • Daily checks: Spend is compared against each budget once a day, and AWS cost data itself lags, so an alert can arrive a day or more after the spend

Slack for Budget Alerts​

Budget alerts can send to their own dedicated Slack channel, separate from other notification types.

  1. Go to Settings → Notifications
  2. Find the Budget Alerts card
  3. Turn on Send to Slack, paste the webhook URL, then click Test Connection (requires Shield or above) to send a sample message

For full setup instructions including creating a Slack webhook, see the Slack Integration Guide.

Anomaly Detection (Shield Tier)​

Anomaly detection automatically identifies unusual cost patterns without you needing to set specific thresholds.

How It Works​

  1. CloudWise analyzes your last 30 days of AWS costs
  2. Statistical analysis (z-score) identifies spending above 2 standard deviations from normal
  3. Alerts are sent via email and/or Slack when anomalies are detected

Setting Up Anomaly Detection​

  1. Go to Settings → Notifications
  2. Enable Cost Anomaly Detection
  3. Optionally connect Slack

The detection rule is fixed (at least 2 standard deviations above the 30-day average and at least $5 higher). The Notifications page states the rule and has no threshold to change. See Anomaly Detection.

Slack Integration​

CloudWise supports per-category Slack channels. Each notification type (budget alerts, anomaly detection, waste detection, stale data, remediation) can route to its own Slack channel.

  1. Create a Slack incoming webhook at api.slack.com/messaging/webhooks
  2. In CloudWise, go to Settings → Notifications
  3. Turn on Send to Slack on the category you want
  4. Paste the webhook URL and click Test Connection

For the full multi-channel setup, see the Slack Integration Guide.

Managing Your Alerts​

Viewing Active Alerts​

  • Go to Settings, then Budget Alerts to see all your configured alerts
  • Each alert shows its threshold, target account, and current status

Changing Alerts​

You cannot edit an alert's threshold or email in the app. Use Pause or Resume to switch it off or on, or delete the alert and create a new one.

Deleting Alerts​

To delete a budget alert:

  1. Go to Settings, then Budget Alerts
  2. Click Delete on the alert you want to remove
  3. In the Delete Budget Alert dialog, click Delete Alert to confirm

Deleting a budget alert is permanent. The dialog says "This action cannot be undone", and the app has no way to bring a deleted alert back. To get one back, create the budget alert again with its threshold and email. To switch an alert off for a while and keep it, use Pause instead.

Best Practices​

Setting Appropriate Thresholds​

  • Start with conservative limits based on your expected monthly spend
  • Consider setting multiple alerts at different levels (e.g., $500, $1000, $1500)
  • Review and adjust thresholds monthly based on actual usage

Email Management​

  • Use a shared team email for alerts that affect multiple people
  • Ensure alert emails don't go to spam folders
  • Test alerts with low thresholds initially to verify delivery

Multiple AWS Accounts​

  • Set up separate alerts for each AWS account you're monitoring
  • Consider different threshold levels based on each account's typical usage
  • Use descriptive names to identify which account each alert monitors

Troubleshooting​

Not Receiving Alert Emails​

  1. Check your spam/junk folder
  2. Verify the email address is entered correctly
  3. Ensure your AWS account has cost data available
  4. Contact support if the issue persists

Alerts Not Triggering​

  1. Verify your AWS account is properly connected
  2. Check that its Cost and Usage Report is delivering data (Cost Explorer does not need to be enabled for budget alerts)
  3. Ensure sufficient time has passed for cost data to be available (cost data arrives when AWS delivers your Cost and Usage Report; a brand-new report can take AWS up to 24 hours)

Need Help?​

If you need assistance with budget alerts, contact our support team or check the FAQ section in the Help Center.