Tag Analysis
5 minute read
Rather than simply considering tagged vs. untagged resources, Tag Analysis shows the cost impact of tagging gaps, helping you to prioritize remediation where it matters most.
Cloud resource tags are essential for cost allocation, governance, and operational management. Tag Analysis answers key questions:
- How much of my cloud spend is untagged? See the total cost exposure from missing tags.
- Which tag keys have the best (and worst) coverage? Identify gaps in your tagging strategy.
- Where should I focus remediation? Prioritize by cost impact, not resource count.
- Are we improving over time? Compare coverage across time periods.
Tag Analysis works across all connected cloud providers (AWS, Azure, and GCP) and uses your FOCUS billing data as the primary data source, ensuring all taggable spend is accounted for.
Access Tag Analysis
- Go to Tag Analysis in the sidebar.
The page loads with your default organization context and the last month of data.
Tag Analysis requires FOCUS billing data. Ensure you have at least one cloud provider connected with billing data enabled.
Cost exposure summary
At the top of the page, the cost exposure metric shows the total amount of untagged spend:
[amount] spent on untagged resources
This metric excludes non-taggable charges (taxes, credits and refunds, and marketplace purchases) to give you an accurate, actionable number.
Coverage metrics
Below the cost exposure metric, summary cards show:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Health Score | Weighted average of coverage (40%), key consistency (30%), and required tag presence (30%). |
| Coverage | Percentage of total spend on resources with at least one tag. |
| Key Consistency | Percentage of tag keys without casing or abbreviation variants. |
| Required Tags | Percentage of spend on resources with at least one required tag. |
Filters and controls
Use the filter bar to narrow your analysis:
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Provider | Filter by AWS, Azure, or GCP, or view all providers. |
| Account | Select specific accounts or subscriptions. |
| Resource Type | Available on the Details tab only. |
| Time period | Last month (default), Last 3 months, or Last 6 months. |
Filters apply to all charts, tables, and metrics on the page.
Amounts are shown in the currency selected under Currency in the account menu. If Source currency is selected and the view is not in USD, a bar above the content states the currency basis (for example, “Showing source currency (EUR)”) or notes that the view contains mixed currencies. If an amount can’t be converted to the selected currency, it is shown in its source currency, and a warning appears above the content.
Overview tab
Tagged vs. untagged cost
The Tag Coverage by Provider chart shows tagged and untagged costs as horizontal bars for each provider, plus an overall bar. Below it, the Coverage by Account table lists each account’s provider, total cost, tagged cost, untagged cost, and coverage percentage, making it easy to identify which accounts have the most untagged spend.
Details tab
Per-tag key coverage
The Details tab shows two charts, Top Tag Keys by Cost and Value Distribution, above a breakdown of coverage by individual tag key. Keys created by CloudBolt virtual tags are marked with a VT badge. See Virtual Tags.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Tag Key | The tag key name (for example, environment). |
| % of Costs Tagged | Percentage of costs carrying this tag key. Hidden while a Resource Type filter is active. |
| # Unique Values | Number of unique values used for this key. |
| Status | Recommendation status for this key. |
Recommendations tab
Tag Analysis surfaces prioritized recommendations based on cost impact:
- Priority for each recommendation
- Number of affected resources and cost impact
- Projected score if recommendation applied
Required tags
Define the tag keys your organization requires to measure compliance with your tagging policy.
Configure required tags
- Select the Settings icon on the Tag Analysis page.
- Add or remove tag keys from the Required Tags list.
- Select Save.
Default required tags:
environmentownercost-centerprojectapplication
When required tags are configured, Tag Analysis calculates a health score based on how consistently these tags are applied across your taggable resources.
Exporting data
Select the CSV button to download the data from the current tab for offline analysis or reporting: either the Coverage by Account table on the Overview tab or the recommendations on the Recommendations tab.
How it works
Data sources
Tag analysis uses a FOCUS-first approach:
-
Primary: FOCUS billing data
Cost-weighted analysis from your normalized billing data. Every tenant with a connected cloud provider has this data. Tags are extracted from the
tagsfield in FOCUS records. -
Secondary: Resource inventory (optional)
Enriches the analysis with resources that may not appear in billing data (for example, unattached snapshots).
What’s excluded
To provide accurate, actionable metrics, the following charge types are excluded:
- Tax charges: Not associated with taggable resources
- Credits and refunds: Distort cost-weighted metrics
- Marketplace purchases: Third-party charges are typically not taggable
Multi-provider support
Tag Analysis normalizes tags across all connected cloud providers into a unified view. Tag keys are compared case-insensitively, so environment, Environment, and ENVIRONMENT are all treated as the same key.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Why is my tagged cost percentage different from what I see in AWS/Azure/GCP?
A: Tag Analysis excludes non-taggable charges (taxes, credits, marketplace) from the denominator. Native cloud consoles may include these charges, resulting in different percentages.
Q: Can I track tag compliance over time?
A: Use the Time period selector to compare coverage across the last month, 3 months, or 6 months and measure the impact of tagging initiatives.
Q: What if a resource has some tags but is missing a required tag?
A: As it has at least one tag, the resource counts as “tagged” in the overall coverage metric, but it will show as non-compliant for the specific missing required tag key in the Details tab.
Q: Does Tag Analysis work without billing data?
A: Tag Analysis requires FOCUS billing data for cost-weighted metrics. If only inventory data is connected, resource-count-based metrics are available, but cost metrics will not be shown.
Q: How often is the data updated?
A: Tag Analysis data refreshes with your billing data pipeline, typically daily. The most recent data reflects your latest processed billing period.