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Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started​

What is CloudWise?​

CloudWise is the agent for your AWS bill. Instead of digging through complex dashboards and CSVs, you talk to the agent in plain English in the Workspace—like "Why did my bill spike last week?"—and it answers, renders the matching view, and hands you the fix. Built for CTOs, Engineering Managers, and developers who own the AWS bill but don't have time to become FinOps experts.

How do I get started with CloudWise?​

  1. Sign up for a CloudWise account at app.cloudcostwise.io
  2. Follow our Quick Start Guide to set up your account
  3. Connect your AWS account using our AWS Setup Guide
  4. Start exploring your cost data and optimization opportunities

Is CloudWise secure?​

Yes, CloudWise uses bank-grade security measures:

  • Read-only access: We only request read-only permissions to your AWS account
  • No data storage: We don't store sensitive billing information
  • SOC 2 compliant: Our infrastructure meets industry security standards
  • Encrypted connections: All data transfers are encrypted using TLS 1.3
  • Air-Gapped Mode option: For maximum security, use Air-Gapped Mode—no account connection required, data stays in your browser

Account Setup​

What AWS permissions does CloudWise need?​

CloudWise requires read-only access to your AWS Cost Explorer and billing data. We use a secure IAM role with minimal permissions. See our AWS Setup Guide for detailed permission requirements.

Can I try CloudWise without connecting my AWS account?​

Yes! CloudWise offers Air-Gapped Mode specifically for this purpose. You can:

  1. Run our export script in AWS CloudShell (no IAM roles needed)
  2. Download the export ZIP file
  3. Upload it to CloudWise for instant analysis

This is perfect for companies with strict compliance requirements or security policies that make it difficult to grant cross-account access. You get full waste detection analysis without any account connection.

Learn about Air-Gapped Mode →

What if my organization has strict DLP (Data Loss Prevention) policies?​

CloudWise supports client-side anonymization for organizations with strict data protection requirements. Before your data leaves your network, you can:

  1. Use the --anonymize flag with our export script to hash all AWS identifiers
  2. Upload only anonymized data (no raw account IDs or resource IDs leave your network)
  3. Maintain full analysis capabilities with deterministic hashing

Your data will show anonymized identifiers like acct_a1b2c3d4 instead of real AWS account IDs, ensuring DLP compliance while still enabling complete cost analysis.

Learn about client-side anonymization →

Can I connect multiple AWS accounts?​

Yes, CloudWise supports multi-account setups. You can connect multiple AWS accounts to get a consolidated view of your costs across your entire organization.

Can I analyze multiple AWS regions in Air-Gapped Mode?​

Yes! Use the --regions flag to export multiple regions into a single ZIP file:

bash cloudwise-export.sh --regions us-east-1,eu-west-1,ap-southeast-1

Global services (CloudFront, Route53, Global Accelerator) are automatically exported once. The backend detects the multi-region layout and runs waste detection per region, avoiding duplicate findings. Without the flag, only the current CloudShell region is exported (unchanged behavior).

How long does it take to see my data?​

After connecting your AWS account, it typically takes 6-8 hours for your initial cost data to appear. Historical data going back up to 12 months will be processed during this time.

With Air-Gapped Mode, analysis is instant—results appear within seconds of uploading your export file.

Cost Analysis​

How accurate is the cost data?​

CloudWise pulls data directly from AWS Cost Explorer and billing APIs, ensuring 100% accuracy with your actual AWS bills. Our data is updated daily and reconciled with AWS billing cycles.

What cost optimization recommendations does CloudWise provide?​

CloudWise provides AWS cost visibility and analysis through Cost Explorer integration, helping you identify where to focus your optimization efforts:

  • Cost Insights: Clear visibility into which AWS services are driving your highest costs
  • Spending Trends: Historical cost patterns to help identify optimization priorities
  • Service Breakdown: Detailed cost analysis by AWS service, region, and time period
  • Budget Monitoring: Track actual spending vs budgets to identify areas needing attention

CloudWise helps you understand where your money is going, so you can prioritize optimization efforts on your highest-cost services. For specific optimization techniques and implementation guidance, see our Cost Optimization Guide which covers industry best practices for all AWS services.

How do Cost Insights work?​

CloudWise Cost Insights use AI-powered analysis to surface optimization opportunities in your AWS spending. The system analyzes your usage patterns and produces specific, actionable recommendations, each with a dollar figure calculated from your data—not a generic estimate.

What you'll see:

  • Optimization Opportunities: Per-finding savings amounts, calculated from your actual usage and AWS pricing
  • Cost Concentration Alerts: When spending is heavily concentrated in one service
  • Trend Analysis: Spending changes over time with confidence levels

The system shows an Optimization Score (0-100) that improves as you act on suggestions. Savings figures are specific to your environment—CloudWise doesn't promise a fixed percentage.

For a complete guide on understanding and acting on these insights, see our Cost Insights Guide.

How reliable are the cost optimization recommendations?​

CloudWise Cost Insights are grounded in your actual AWS billing data and published AWS pricing:

Confidence Levels:

  • High: Strong, unambiguous signals (e.g., a volume unattached for 90+ days). Act with confidence.
  • Medium: Real metrics with caveats (e.g., low utilization that may have legitimate exceptions). Review first.
  • Low: Informational/housekeeping flags. Consider during maintenance windows.

Accuracy Factors:

  • All recommendations use real AWS pricing data
  • Savings estimates are based on your actual usage patterns
  • High-confidence findings use fixed AWS rates and binary detection (no estimation)

Start with the highest-confidence insights to validate the recommendations against your specific environment. See the Waste Detection Guide for exactly how each confidence level is derived.

Learn how to prioritize and implement recommendations effectively in our Cost Insights Guide.

Can I set up cost alerts?​

Yes, you can configure custom budget alerts and notifications to stay informed about:

  • Monthly spending thresholds
  • Unusual spending patterns
  • Service-specific cost increases
  • Resource utilization changes

How do I see costs broken down by tag?​

CloudWise automatically extracts tags from your AWS Cost and Usage Report (CUR) and makes them available in three places:

  1. Workspace overview — The "Cost by Tag" card lets you select any tag key and see the top values by spend
  2. Cost views — Group by any tag key (under the "Tags" section in Group By) for tag-based breakdowns
  3. QoQ Variance — Select "Tag" in the Group By dropdown, then choose a tag key to compare tag-based costs across periods

Tag data is discovered automatically from your uploaded cost data — no additional configuration needed.

Why don't I see any tags in the Cost By Tag card?​

Tags only appear if your AWS resources are tagged and your Cost and Usage Report includes tag columns. Common reasons for missing tags:

  • No cost allocation tags activated — In AWS Billing, go to Cost Allocation Tags and activate the tags you want to track
  • CUR doesn't include resource-level tags — Ensure your CUR is configured with Include resource IDs enabled
  • Resources aren't tagged — Only resources with tags will show tag data. Untagged resources appear as "(untagged)"

What tag keys does CloudWise support?​

CloudWise supports all tag keys present in your cost data. There's no predefined list — any tag you use in AWS (e.g., Environment, Team, CostCenter, Project, Owner) will appear automatically in the tag key dropdowns.

Billing & Pricing​

How much does CloudWise cost?​

CloudWise offers simple, transparent pricing:

  • Free (Ask): $0/forever - Talk to the agent, see waste, get propose-only fixes; 1 AWS account
  • Shield (Watch): $19/mo or $149/year - Anomaly detection, email/Slack alerts, 5 AWS accounts, 50 questions/day
  • Agentic AI (Fix): $49/mo or $399/year - The agent executes approved fixes with automatic rollback
  • Compliance (Govern): $99/mo or $799/year - Air-gapped mode for regulated enterprises with 365-day retention, persistent anonymization salt, Cost By Tag analysis, and QoQ variance reports (propose-only by design)

Visit our pricing page for full feature comparison.

What's included in Shield?​

Shield (the Watch rung) includes:

  • 🛡️ Automatic cost anomaly detection
  • 💬 Slack & email alerts for cost spikes
  • 🔗 Up to 5 AWS accounts
  • 🤖 50 agent questions per day
  • 🔍 All 191 waste detectors

Do you offer a free trial?​

Yes! Our Free tier includes basic cost visibility forever. You can upgrade to Shield anytime to unlock advanced features like anomaly detection and Slack alerts.

What payment methods do you accept?​

We accept all major credit and debit cards through our secure Stripe integration:

  • Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover
  • Debit Cards: All major debit card networks

Shield tier is available at $19/mo or $149/year (save 35% with annual billing).

Can I get a refund?​

Yes, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on Shield tier. If you're not satisfied, contact support@cloudcostwise.io within 30 days of purchase.

Anomaly Detection​

How does anomaly detection work?​

CloudWise Shield monitors your AWS costs daily and uses statistical analysis to detect unusual spending patterns. When costs spike above your normal baseline, you receive instant alerts via Slack and/or email.

Learn more in our Anomaly Detection Guide.

What triggers an anomaly alert?​

An alert is triggered when:

  • Daily cost exceeds 2 standard deviations from your 30-day average
  • The dollar increase is at least $5
  • You have at least 7 days of historical data

Can I customize anomaly thresholds?​

Yes! In Settings → Notifications, you can adjust:

  • Threshold percentage: Minimum % increase to trigger (default: 20%)
  • Minimum spend: Ignore changes below this amount (default: $5)

Is Slack integration required?​

No, Slack is optional. You can receive anomaly alerts via email only, or use both Slack and email.

Technical Support​

What support do you provide?​

We offer multiple support channels:

  • Email support: support@cloudcostwise.io
  • Documentation: Comprehensive guides and tutorials
  • Community: Access to our user community and forums
  • Enterprise support: Priority support for enterprise customers

What if I need help with AWS cost optimization?​

For users who need additional support beyond our self-service platform, we offer CloudWise Professional Services - a premium consulting service provided by our team of AWS-certified cost optimization experts.

Professional Services include:

  • Architecture Review: Comprehensive analysis of your AWS infrastructure and cost optimization opportunities
  • Custom Optimization Strategy: Tailored cost reduction roadmap based on your specific infrastructure and business needs
  • Implementation Support: Hands-on assistance implementing optimization recommendations
  • Ongoing Cost Governance: Monthly optimization reviews and strategic guidance

What you get:

  • Dedicated AWS cost optimization consultant assigned to your account
  • In-depth analysis of your infrastructure and usage patterns using advanced tooling
  • Prioritized optimization roadmap with detailed ROI projections and timelines
  • Implementation guidance, best practices training, and knowledge transfer
  • Quarterly business reviews and ongoing strategy updates

Getting Started: Contact our Professional Services team at consulting@cloudcostwise.io for a complimentary assessment to discuss your specific needs and provide a customized proposal.

How do I report a bug or request a feature?​

You can contact us through:

Account Management​

How do I cancel my subscription?​

You can cancel your subscription at any time from your account settings in the CloudWise dashboard. Your data will remain accessible until the end of your billing period.

What happens to my data if I cancel?​

Your cost analysis data and configurations are retained for 90 days after cancellation, allowing you to reactivate your account and retain your historical insights.

What is Compliance tier?​

Compliance (the Govern rung—$99/mo or $799/year) is designed for regulated enterprises (FinTech, Healthcare, Government) that cannot grant IAM access to third-party services. It includes:

  • 365-day data retention (vs 7-day for Free/Shield)
  • Persistent anonymization salt for consistent entity correlation across uploads
  • QoQ variance reports for tracking cost trends over time
  • PDF audit report exports for compliance documentation
  • Up to 12 historical upload sessions

Learn more about Compliance tier →

Who should use Compliance tier?​

Compliance tier is ideal for:

  • Organizations with strict security policies prohibiting cross-account IAM access
  • Regulated industries (FinTech, Healthcare, Government) with data sovereignty requirements
  • Teams that need to track cost trends across quarters for budget planning
  • Finance/procurement teams requiring audit-ready PDF reports

Can I export my data?​

Yes, CloudWise provides data export functionality allowing you to download:

  • Cost reports in CSV format
  • Recommendation summaries
  • Historical trend data
  • Custom analysis reports

Integration & API​

Does CloudWise integrate with other tools?​

CloudWise offers integrations with popular tools including:

  • Slack: Cost alerts and notifications
  • Microsoft Teams: Team collaboration on cost optimization
  • Webhook notifications: Custom integrations with your existing tools
  • API access: Programmatic access to your cost data

Is there an API available?​

Yes, we provide a REST API for enterprise customers to integrate CloudWise data with their existing systems and workflows.

Still have questions?​

If you can't find the answer you're looking for, we're here to help:

Our support team typically responds within 24 hours for all inquiries.