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AWS Cost Explorer API

AWS Cost Explorer API enables programmatic access to AWS cost and usage data, providing comprehensive insights into cloud spending patterns, resource utilization, and cost optimization opportunities for better financial management.

AWS Cost Explorer API icon

Power end-to-end data operations for your AWS Cost Explorer API API with Nexla. Our bi-directional AWS Cost Explorer API connector is purpose-built for AWS Cost Explorer API, making it simple to ingest data, sync it across systems, and deliver it anywhere — all with no coding required. Nexla turns API-sourced data into ready-to-use, reusable data products and makes it easy to send data to AWS Cost Explorer API or any other destination. With comprehensive monitoring, lineage tracking, and access controls, Nexla keeps your AWS Cost Explorer API workflows fast, secure, and fully governed.

Features

Type: API

SourceDestination

  • Seamless API Integration: Connect to any endpoint as source or destination without coding, with automatic data product creation
  • Visual Composition & Chaining: Build complex integrations using visual templates, chain API calls, and compose workflows with data validation and filtering
  • API Proxy: Expose curated slices of your data securely with a secure and customizable API proxy that validates and transforms data on the fly
  • Request optimization with intelligent batching, retry, and caching to minimize API calls and costs

Prerequisites​

Before creating an AWS Cost Explorer API credential in Nexla, you need to create an IAM user with appropriate permissions and obtain AWS Access Key credentials. AWS Cost Explorer API uses AWS Signature Version 4 for authentication.

AWS IAM User Setup​

The IAM user must have appropriate permissions to access the Cost Explorer API. Ensure that the user has the necessary IAM policies attached. For detailed information about Cost Explorer API permissions, see the AWS Cost Explorer API documentation.

  1. Access AWS IAM Console: Sign in to your AWS account and navigate to the IAM Console.

  2. Create an IAM User: Create a new IAM user or select an existing user that will be used for API access. This user will need permissions to access the Cost Explorer API.

  3. Attach Cost Explorer Permissions: Attach the necessary IAM policies to the user. The user needs permissions to access the Cost Explorer API, such as:

    • ce:GetCostAndUsage
    • ce:GetCostAndUsageWithResources
    • ce:GetDimensionValues
    • ce:GetReservationCoverage
    • ce:GetReservationPurchaseRecommendation
    • ce:GetReservationUtilization
    • ce:GetRightsizingRecommendation
    • ce:GetSavingsPlansCoverage
    • ce:GetSavingsPlansPurchaseRecommendation
    • ce:GetSavingsPlansUtilization
    • ce:GetUsageReport
    • ce:ListCostCategoryDefinitions
    • Or attach the AWSCostExplorerServiceReadOnlyAccess managed policy for read-only access

  4. Create Access Key: Create an access key pair for the IAM user. This will generate an Access Key ID and Secret Access Key that you'll use for authentication.

  5. Select AWS Region: Determine which AWS region you want to use for the Cost Explorer API. The Cost Explorer API is available in specific regions, typically us-east-1 (N. Virginia).

  6. Copy Credentials: Copy the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key immediately after creation, as the secret key will only be shown once.

    AWS Access Keys provide programmatic access to your AWS account. Keep your Access Key ID and Secret Access Key secure and do not share them publicly or commit them to version control systems. If you suspect your access keys have been compromised, rotate them immediately in the IAM Console. For detailed information about AWS IAM and access keys, see the AWS IAM documentation.

Authenticate​

Credentials required​

FieldRequiredSecretDescription
AWS Access KeyYesNoThe access key id of the Access Key pair that is used for verifying the identity of the requesting user.
AWS Secret KeyYesYesThe access secret of the Access Key pair that is used for verifying the identity of the requesting user.
AWS RegionYesNoThe region that is receiving the request.
Session TokenNoYesOptional session token if the request requires temporary security credentials. This is added to the request as x-amz-access-token request header.

Create a credential in Nexla​

  1. After selecting the data source/destination type, click the Add Credential tile to open the Add New Credential overlay.

New Credential Overlay – AWS Cost Explorer API

AWSCostExplorerCred.png

  1. Enter a name for the credential in the Credential Name field and a short, meaningful description in the Credential Description field.

  2. Enter your AWS Access Key ID in the AWS Access Key field. This should be the Access Key ID obtained from your IAM user's access key pair. The Access Key ID is used together with the Secret Access Key to sign API requests using AWS Signature Version 4.

  3. Enter your AWS Secret Access Key in the AWS Secret Key field. This should be the Secret Access Key obtained from your IAM user's access key pair. The Secret Access Key is used together with the Access Key ID to sign API requests.

    The AWS Access Key ID and Secret Access Key provide programmatic access to your AWS account through the Cost Explorer API. Keep these credentials secure and do not share them publicly or commit them to version control systems. AWS uses AWS Signature Version 4 to sign API requests, which allows Nexla to make authenticated requests to your AWS account.

  4. Enter your AWS Region in the AWS Region field. This should be the AWS region where you want to make Cost Explorer API requests. Common regions include us-east-1 (N. Virginia), us-west-2 (Oregon), eu-west-1 (Ireland), and others. The Cost Explorer API is typically available in us-east-1.

  5. Optionally, enter a Session Token in the Session Token field if you are using temporary security credentials. Session tokens are required when using temporary credentials from AWS STS (Security Token Service) or when assuming IAM roles. If you are using permanent access keys, you can leave this field empty.

    If you are using temporary security credentials (for example, from AWS STS or IAM role assumption), you must provide a Session Token. The session token is added to requests as the x-amz-access-token header. For permanent access keys, the session token field can be left empty.

  6. Once all of the relevant steps in the above sections have been completed, click the Save button at the bottom of the overlay to save the configured credential. The newly added credential will now appear in a tile on the Authenticate screen during data source/destination creation and can be selected for use with a new data source or destination.

Use as a data source​

To create a new data flow, navigate to the Integrate section, and click the New Data Flow button. Select the AWS Cost Explorer API connector tile, then select the credential that will be used to connect to the AWS Cost Explorer API instance, and click Next; or, create a new AWS Cost Explorer API credential for use in this flow.

Endpoint templates​

Nexla provides pre-built templates that can be used to rapidly configure data sources to ingest data from common AWS Cost Explorer API endpoints. Select the endpoint from which this source will fetch data from the Endpoint pulldown menu. Available endpoint templates are listed in the expandable box below.

Run Cost Explorer Report/Action

This endpoint runs a specific AWS Cost Explorer API report or action to retrieve cost and usage data from your AWS account. Use this endpoint when you need to access cost data, usage metrics, anomaly detection, reservation information, or other cost management data from AWS Cost Explorer.

  • Select the Cost Explorer action you want to execute from the Cost Explorer Action dropdown menu. Available actions include GetAnomalies, GetAnomalyMonitors, GetAnomalySubscriptions, GetApproximateUsageRecords, GetCostAndUsage, GetCostAndUsageWithResources, GetCostCategories, GetCostForecast, GetDimensionValues, GetReservationCoverage, GetReservationPurchaseRecommendation, GetReservationUtilization, GetRightsizingRecommendation, GetSavingsPlansCoverage, GetSavingsPlansPurchaseRecommendation, GetSavingsPlansUtilization, and GetUsageReport. The selected action determines which AWS Cost Explorer API operation will be executed.
  • Enter the request query in the Request Query field. This should be a JSON-formatted request body that specifies the parameters for the selected Cost Explorer action. The request query should follow the AWS Cost Explorer API specification for the selected action, including time periods, metrics, dimensions, filters, and other required parameters. The request body is sent as the POST request body to the endpoint.
  • The endpoint uses POST requests to https://ce.us-east-1.amazonaws.com with required headers: Content-Type: application/x-amz-json-1.1 and X-Amz-Target: AWSInsightsIndexService.{ActionName} where {ActionName} matches the selected Cost Explorer action.
  • The endpoint uses token-based pagination when applicable, automatically fetching additional pages as needed using the NextPageToken mechanism. When a response includes a NextPageToken field, Nexla automatically includes it in the subsequent request body to fetch the next page of results.
  • The endpoint will return cost and usage data based on your request query, formatted according to the selected action's response structure. The response is returned at the root level of the JSON response, and Nexla will process the entire response structure.

The request query must be properly formatted JSON that matches the AWS Cost Explorer API specification for the selected action. Common parameters include TimePeriod (start and end dates in YYYY-MM-DD format), Granularity (DAILY or MONTHLY), Metrics (cost and usage metrics like BlendedCost, UnblendedCost, UsageQuantity), and Dimensions (for grouping data like Service, AvailabilityZone, InstanceType). The endpoint requires AWS Signature Version 4 authentication, which is handled automatically by your credential configuration. The endpoint uses token-based pagination (iteration.type: paging.next.token) through the NextPageToken mechanism - when a response includes a NextPageToken field, Nexla automatically includes it in the subsequent request body (params.in.body: true) to fetch the next page of results. The request body is sent as JSON in the POST request body, and the required headers (Content-Type: application/x-amz-json-1.1 and X-Amz-Target: AWSInsightsIndexService.{ActionName}) are automatically configured based on your selected action. For detailed information about AWS Cost Explorer API actions, request formatting, response structures, and available parameters for each action, see the AWS Cost Explorer API documentation.

Once the selected endpoint template has been configured, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu to retrieve a sample of the data that will be fetched. Sample data will be displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right, allowing you to verify that the source is configured correctly before saving.

Manual configuration​

AWS Cost Explorer API data sources can also be manually configured to ingest data from any valid AWS Cost Explorer API endpoint, including endpoints not covered by the pre-built templates, chained API calls, or custom request parameters. Select the Advanced tab at the top of the configuration screen, and follow the instructions in Connect to Any API to configure the API method, endpoint URL, date/time and lookup macros, path to data, metadata, and request headers.

The AWS Cost Explorer API uses POST requests to https://ce.{region}.amazonaws.com (e.g., https://ce.us-east-1.amazonaws.com). Every request requires a JSON request body along with the headers Content-Type: application/x-amz-json-1.1 and X-Amz-Target: AWSInsightsIndexService.{ActionName}, where {ActionName} is the selected Cost Explorer action (e.g., GetCostAndUsage). To return only the relevant records, set the path to data — for example, $.ResultsByTime[*].

Once all of the relevant settings have been configured, click the Create button in the upper right corner of the screen to save and create the new AWS Cost Explorer API data source. Nexla will now begin ingesting data from the configured endpoint and will organize any data that it finds into one or more Nexsets.