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Setup guide

How to Setup SaneCost

Get started in 4 steps. The entire setup takes less than 5 minutes.

01

Add SaneCost to Slack

Click the "Add to Slack" button to install the SaneCost app to your workspace.

What happens during installation:

  • You'll be redirected to Slack's authorization page
  • Review the permissions SaneCost needs
  • Select which channel to post updates to (optional)
  • Click "Allow" to complete the installation
Add to Slack Now
02

Connect Your AWS Account

After adding to Slack, run the connect command to link your AWS account.

$ /sanecost connect aws

The command will provide:

  • A CloudFormation template link customized for your workspace
  • An API key that expires in 24 hours for secure setup
  • Step-by-step AWS Console instructions

Note: Currently creates a basic EC2 read-only IAM role. In future releases, additional permission tiers will be available including RDS, EBS monitoring with cost data.

03

Deploy the CloudFormation Stack

Deploy our secure CloudFormation template to your AWS account.

In the AWS Console:

  1. a. Click the CloudFormation link provided by the bot
  2. b. Review the stack name (keep default or customize)
  3. c. The API key is already embedded in the CloudFormation URL
  4. d. Check "I acknowledge" box and click "Create Stack"
  5. e. Wait ~2 minutes for stack creation to complete

Security: The stack only grants read permissions to EC2 and CloudWatch metrics. Stop permissions with resource tagging will be available in future releases.

04

Set Up Notifications

After installing, configure where SaneCost sends waste alerts in your Slack workspace. SaneCost will send you a welcome DM with these instructions.

Set your notification channel:

Choose a channel for cost alerts, then invite the bot so it can post there:

$ /sanecost config channel #aws-alerts
$ /invite @SaneCost

Recommended -- direct owner DMs: Add an Owner AWS tag to your EC2 instances with the owner's email address (e.g. Owner: alice@company.com). SaneCost will DM that person directly instead of posting to the channel -- the fastest way to fix waste.

Optional -- per-resource routing: Use the SlackChannel or Team AWS tags on individual EC2 instances to route their alerts to specific channels or teams.

You're All Set

SaneCost will start monitoring your AWS infrastructure and notify you about idle instances within 30 minutes.

First scan will run automatically and notify you of any findings.

Reference

Useful Commands

/sanecost status

Show all connected AWS accounts and their status

/sanecost usage

View current usage, billing info, and resource limits

/sanecost config

View or update alert thresholds

# Set CPU threshold to 10%
$ /sanecost config cpu-threshold 10
# Set idle duration to 2 hours
$ /sanecost config idle-hours 2
# Set alert channel
$ /sanecost config channel #aws-alerts
/sanecost help

View all available commands and options

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

CloudFormation stack fails to create

Ensure you have permissions to create IAM roles in your AWS account. You need administrator access or IAM creation permissions.

Not receiving notifications

Make sure the SaneCost bot has been invited to the channel where you expect alerts. Type /invite @SaneCost in that channel. Then run /sanecost status to verify your AWS connection is active.

"No updates are to be performed" in AWS Console

This means your AWS account is already connected. Run /sanecost status in Slack to verify your connection. No further action is needed.

API key expired

The setup link expires after 24 hours for security. Run /sanecost connect aws again to get a fresh link.

Still need assistance?

Our support team is here to help.

Contact Support
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