azure-cost

# Azure Cost Management Skill Unified skill for all Azure cost management tasks: querying historical costs, forecasting future spending, and optimizing to reduce waste. ## When to Use This Skill Activate this skill when user wants to: - Query or analyze Azure costs (how much am I spending, show my bill, cost breakdown) - Break down costs by service, resource, location, or tag - Analyze cost trends over time - Forecast future Azure spending or project end-of-month costs - Optimize Azure costs, reduce spending, or find savings - Find orphaned or unused resources - Rightsize Azure VMs, containers, or services - Generate cost optimization reports ## Quick Reference | Property | Value | |----------|-------| | **Query API Endpoint** | `POST {scope}/providers/Microsoft.CostManagement/query?api-version=2023-11-01` | | **Forecast API Endpoint** | `POST {scope}/providers/Microsoft.CostManagement/forecast?api-version=2023-11-01` | | **MCP Tools** | `azure__documentation`, `azure__extension_cli_generate`, `azure__get_azure_bestpractices` | | **CLI** | `az rest`, `az monitor metrics list`, `az resource list` | | **Required Role** | Cost Management Reader + Monitoring Reader + Reader on scope | ## MCP Tools | Tool | Description | Parameters | When to Use | |------|-------------|------------|-------------| | `azure__documentation` | Search Azure documentation | `query` (Required): search terms | Research Cost Management API parameters and options | | `azure__extension_cli_generate` | Generate Azure CLI commands | `intent` (Required): task description, `cli-type` (Required): `"az"` | Construct `az rest` commands for cost queries | | `azure__get_azure_bestpractices` | Get Azure best practices | `intent` (Required): optimization context | Inform query design with cost management best practices | | `azure__extension_azqr` | Run Azure Quick Review compliance scan | `subscription` (Required): subscription ID, `resource-group` (Optional): resource group name | Find orphaned resources and cost optimization opportunities | | `azure__aks` | Azure Kubernetes Service operations | varies by sub-command | AKS cost analysis: list clusters, get node pools, inspect configuration | > 💡 **Tip:** Prefer MCP tools over direct CLI commands. Use `az rest` only when MCP tools don't cover the specific operation. --- ## Routing Read the user's request and follow the appropriate workflow below. | User Intent | Workflow | Example Prompts | |-------------|----------|-----------------| | Understand current costs | [Cost Query Workflow](cost-query/workflow.md) | "how much am I spending", "cost by service", "show my bill" | | Reduce costs / find waste | [Cost Optimization Workflow](cost-optimization/workflow.md) | "optimize costs", "find orphaned resources", "reduce spending" | | Project future costs | [Cost Forecast Workflow](cost-forecast/workflow.md) | "forecast costs", "end of month estimate", "how much will I spend" | | Full cost picture | All three workflows combined | "give me the full picture of my Azure costs" | > **Important:** When optimizing costs, always present the total bill and cost breakdown alongside optimization recommendations. --- ## Scope Reference (Shared Across All Workflows) | Scope | URL Pattern | |-------|-------------| | Subscription | `/subscriptions/<subscription-id>` | | Resource Group | `/subscriptions/<subscription-id>/resourceGroups/<resource-group-name>` | | Management Group | `/providers/Microsoft.Management/managementGroups/<management-group-id>` | | Billing Account | `/providers/Microsoft.Billing/billingAccounts/<billing-account-id>` | | Billing Profile | `/providers/Microsoft.Billing/billingAccounts/<billing-account-id>/billingProfiles/<billing-profile-id>` | > 💡 **Tip:** These are scope paths only — not complete URLs. Combine with the API endpoint and version. --- ## Part 1: Cost Query Workflow For the full cost query workflow (scope selection, report types, timeframes, dataset configuration, API calls, pagination, guardrails, examples, and error handling), see: 📄 **[Cost Query Workflow](cost-query/workflow.md)** --- ## Part 2: Cost Optimization Workflow For the full cost optimization workflow (prerequisites, best practices, Redis/AKS-specific analysis, Azure Quick Review, resource discovery, cost queries, pricing validation, utilization metrics, and report generation), see: 📄 **[Cost Optimization Workflow](cost-optimization/workflow.md)** --- ## Part 3: Cost Forecast Workflow For the full cost forecast workflow (scope selection, time period rules, dataset configuration, forecast-specific options, API calls, response interpretation, guardrails, and error handling), see: 📄 **[Cost Forecast Workflow](cost-forecast/workflow.md)** --- ## Data Classification - **ACTUAL DATA** = Retrieved from Azure Cost Management API - **ACTUAL METRICS** = Retrieved from Azure Monitor - **VALIDATED PRICING** = Retrieved from official Azure pricing pages - **ESTIMATED SAVINGS** = Calculated based on actual data and validated pricing ## Best Practices - Always query actual costs first — never estimate or assume - Always present the total bill alongside optimization recommendations - Validate pricing from official sources — account for free tiers - Use REST API for cost queries (more reliable than `az costmanagement query`) - Save audit trail — include all queries and responses - Include Azure Portal links for all resources - For costs < $10/month, emphasize operational improvements over financial savings - Never execute destructive operations without explicit approval ## Common Pitfalls - **Assuming costs**: Always query actual data from Cost Management API - **Ignoring free tiers**: Many services have generous allowances - **Using wrong date ranges**: 30 days for costs, 14 days for utilization - **Not showing the bill**: Always present cost breakdown alongside optimization recommendations - **Cost query failures**: Use `az rest` with JSON body, not `az costmanagement query` ## Safety Requirements - Get approval before deleting resources - Test changes in non-production first - Provide dry-run commands for validation - Include rollback procedures ## SDK Quick References - **Redis Management**: [.NET](cost-optimization/sdk/azure-resource-manager-redis-dotnet.md) ## Diff History - **v00.33.0**: Ingested from skills-main --- ## Why This Skill Exists Use — Unified Azure cost management: query historical costs, forecast future spending, and optimize to reduce waste. WHEN: \ <!-- SR_40: auto-generated from frontmatter `purpose`/`description` (OPP-Phase3). Expand with domain-specific rationale. --> ## What If Fails If this skill fails to produce the expected output: (1) verify input completeness, (2) retry with more specific context, (3) fall back to the parent workflow without this skill. <!-- SR_40: auto-generated from frontmatter `what_if_fails` (OPP-Phase3). -->