Best use case
aws-cost-cleanup is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt. It is especially useful for teams working in multi. Automated cleanup of unused AWS resources to reduce costs
Automated cleanup of unused AWS resources to reduce costs
Users should expect a more consistent workflow output, faster repeated execution, and less time spent rewriting prompts from scratch.
Practical example
Example input
Use the "aws-cost-cleanup" skill to help with this workflow task. Context: Automated cleanup of unused AWS resources to reduce costs
Example output
A structured workflow result with clearer steps, more consistent formatting, and an output that is easier to reuse in the next run.
When to use this skill
- Use this skill when you want a reusable workflow rather than writing the same prompt again and again.
When not to use this skill
- Do not use this when you only need a one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- Do not use it if you cannot install or maintain the related files, repository context, or supporting tools.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/aws-cost-cleanup/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How aws-cost-cleanup Compares
| Feature / Agent | aws-cost-cleanup | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Automated cleanup of unused AWS resources to reduce costs
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
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SKILL.md Source
# AWS Cost Cleanup
Automate the identification and removal of unused AWS resources to eliminate waste.
## When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to automatically clean up unused AWS resources to reduce costs and eliminate waste.
## Automated Cleanup Targets
**Storage**
- Unattached EBS volumes
- Old EBS snapshots (>90 days)
- Incomplete multipart S3 uploads
- Old S3 versions in versioned buckets
**Compute**
- Stopped EC2 instances (>30 days)
- Unused AMIs and associated snapshots
- Unused Elastic IPs
**Networking**
- Unused Elastic Load Balancers
- Unused NAT Gateways
- Orphaned ENIs
## Cleanup Scripts
### Safe Cleanup (Dry-Run First)
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# cleanup-unused-ebs.sh
echo "Finding unattached EBS volumes..."
VOLUMES=$(aws ec2 describe-volumes \
--filters Name=status,Values=available \
--query 'Volumes[*].VolumeId' \
--output text)
for vol in $VOLUMES; do
echo "Would delete: $vol"
# Uncomment to actually delete:
# aws ec2 delete-volume --volume-id $vol
done
```
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# cleanup-old-snapshots.sh
CUTOFF_DATE=$(date -d '90 days ago' --iso-8601)
aws ec2 describe-snapshots --owner-ids self \
--query "Snapshots[?StartTime<='$CUTOFF_DATE'].[SnapshotId,StartTime,VolumeSize]" \
--output text | while read snap_id start_time size; do
echo "Snapshot: $snap_id (Created: $start_time, Size: ${size}GB)"
# Uncomment to delete:
# aws ec2 delete-snapshot --snapshot-id $snap_id
done
```
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# release-unused-eips.sh
aws ec2 describe-addresses \
--query 'Addresses[?AssociationId==null].[AllocationId,PublicIp]' \
--output text | while read alloc_id public_ip; do
echo "Would release: $public_ip ($alloc_id)"
# Uncomment to release:
# aws ec2 release-address --allocation-id $alloc_id
done
```
### S3 Lifecycle Automation
```bash
# Apply lifecycle policy to transition old objects to cheaper storage
cat > lifecycle-policy.json <<EOF
{
"Rules": [
{
"Id": "Archive old objects",
"Status": "Enabled",
"Transitions": [
{
"Days": 90,
"StorageClass": "STANDARD_IA"
},
{
"Days": 180,
"StorageClass": "GLACIER"
}
],
"NoncurrentVersionExpiration": {
"NoncurrentDays": 30
},
"AbortIncompleteMultipartUpload": {
"DaysAfterInitiation": 7
}
}
]
}
EOF
aws s3api put-bucket-lifecycle-configuration \
--bucket my-bucket \
--lifecycle-configuration file://lifecycle-policy.json
```
## Cost Impact Calculator
```python
#!/usr/bin/env python3
# calculate-savings.py
import boto3
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
ec2 = boto3.client('ec2')
# Calculate EBS volume savings
volumes = ec2.describe_volumes(
Filters=[{'Name': 'status', 'Values': ['available']}]
)
total_size = sum(v['Size'] for v in volumes['Volumes'])
monthly_cost = total_size * 0.10 # $0.10/GB-month for gp3
print(f"Unattached EBS Volumes: {len(volumes['Volumes'])}")
print(f"Total Size: {total_size} GB")
print(f"Monthly Savings: ${monthly_cost:.2f}")
# Calculate Elastic IP savings
addresses = ec2.describe_addresses()
unused = [a for a in addresses['Addresses'] if 'AssociationId' not in a]
eip_cost = len(unused) * 3.65 # $0.005/hour * 730 hours
print(f"\nUnused Elastic IPs: {len(unused)}")
print(f"Monthly Savings: ${eip_cost:.2f}")
print(f"\nTotal Monthly Savings: ${monthly_cost + eip_cost:.2f}")
print(f"Annual Savings: ${(monthly_cost + eip_cost) * 12:.2f}")
```
## Automated Cleanup Lambda
```python
import boto3
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
def lambda_handler(event, context):
ec2 = boto3.client('ec2')
# Delete unattached volumes older than 7 days
volumes = ec2.describe_volumes(
Filters=[{'Name': 'status', 'Values': ['available']}]
)
cutoff = datetime.now() - timedelta(days=7)
deleted = 0
for vol in volumes['Volumes']:
create_time = vol['CreateTime'].replace(tzinfo=None)
if create_time < cutoff:
try:
ec2.delete_volume(VolumeId=vol['VolumeId'])
deleted += 1
print(f"Deleted volume: {vol['VolumeId']}")
except Exception as e:
print(f"Error deleting {vol['VolumeId']}: {e}")
return {
'statusCode': 200,
'body': f'Deleted {deleted} volumes'
}
```
## Cleanup Workflow
1. **Discovery Phase** (Read-only)
- Run all describe commands
- Generate cost impact report
- Review with team
2. **Validation Phase**
- Verify resources are truly unused
- Check for dependencies
- Notify resource owners
3. **Execution Phase** (Dry-run first)
- Run cleanup scripts with dry-run
- Review proposed changes
- Execute actual cleanup
4. **Verification Phase**
- Confirm deletions
- Monitor for issues
- Document savings
## Safety Checklist
- [ ] Run in dry-run mode first
- [ ] Verify resources have no dependencies
- [ ] Check resource tags for ownership
- [ ] Notify stakeholders before deletion
- [ ] Create snapshots of critical data
- [ ] Test in non-production first
- [ ] Have rollback plan ready
- [ ] Document all deletions
## Example Prompts
**Discovery**
- "Find all unused resources and calculate potential savings"
- "Generate a cleanup report for my AWS account"
- "What resources can I safely delete?"
**Execution**
- "Create a script to cleanup unattached EBS volumes"
- "Delete all snapshots older than 90 days"
- "Release unused Elastic IPs"
**Automation**
- "Set up automated cleanup for old snapshots"
- "Create a Lambda function for weekly cleanup"
- "Schedule monthly resource cleanup"
## Integration with AWS Organizations
```bash
# Run cleanup across multiple accounts
for account in $(aws organizations list-accounts \
--query 'Accounts[*].Id' --output text); do
echo "Checking account: $account"
aws ec2 describe-volumes \
--filters Name=status,Values=available \
--profile account-$account
done
```
## Monitoring and Alerts
```bash
# Create CloudWatch alarm for cost anomalies
aws cloudwatch put-metric-alarm \
--alarm-name high-cost-alert \
--alarm-description "Alert when daily cost exceeds threshold" \
--metric-name EstimatedCharges \
--namespace AWS/Billing \
--statistic Maximum \
--period 86400 \
--evaluation-periods 1 \
--threshold 100 \
--comparison-operator GreaterThanThreshold
```
## Best Practices
- Schedule cleanup during maintenance windows
- Always create final snapshots before deletion
- Use resource tags to identify cleanup candidates
- Implement approval workflow for production
- Log all cleanup actions for audit
- Set up cost anomaly detection
- Review cleanup results weekly
## Risk Mitigation
**Medium Risk Actions:**
- Deleting unattached volumes (ensure no planned reattachment)
- Removing old snapshots (verify no compliance requirements)
- Releasing Elastic IPs (check DNS records)
**Always:**
- Maintain 30-day backup retention
- Use AWS Backup for critical resources
- Test restore procedures
- Document cleanup decisions
## Kiro CLI Integration
```bash
# Analyze and cleanup in one command
kiro-cli chat "Use aws-cost-cleanup to find and remove unused resources"
# Generate cleanup script
kiro-cli chat "Create a safe cleanup script for my AWS account"
# Schedule automated cleanup
kiro-cli chat "Set up weekly automated cleanup using aws-cost-cleanup"
```
## Additional Resources
- [AWS Resource Cleanup Best Practices](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/mt/automate-resource-cleanup/)
- [AWS Systems Manager Automation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/systems-manager-automation.html)
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