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Tag Cleanup Campaign

Use this playbook to run a focused campaign that improves tag and label quality across cloud resources. Better tagging helps Cloudaware Cost Management produce more accurate allocation, showback and chargeback, reporting, and optimization views.

Define Tagging Standard and Scope​

  • Confirm your core allocation tags (for example, Application, Owner, Environment, CostCenter, Customer).
  • Decide which clouds, accounts/subscriptions/projects, and environments are in scope for the campaign.

See also: Tagging Strategy and Tag Analyzer

Measure Current State​

  • Use CMDB and Cost Management dashboards to:
    • Quantify untagged or poorly tagged spend by provider, BU, and application.
    • Identify high‑spend accounts and services with missing mandatory tags.
  • Create simple reports that list:
    • Resources missing required tags.
    • Resources with invalid or deprecated tag values.

This establishes a baseline and helps you target the highest‑impact areas first.

Engage Owners​

  • Use Allocation and Business Mapping to determine which teams or application owners are responsible for untagged resources.
  • Share targeted lists and dashboards with each owner, emphasizing:
    • Why tagging matters (allocation, showback/chargeback, optimization).
    • Which tags are required and acceptable values.
    • Any deadlines and expectations for remediation.

Provide examples and templates (for Terraform, CI/CD, or cloud console) to make fixes straightforward.

Remediate Tags​

Work with teams to:

  • Update tags in source systems:
    • Infrastructure as Code templates.
    • Deployment pipelines.
    • Cloud console or APIs for existing resources.
  • Apply bulk tag updates where safe and supported by providers.
  • Ensure that new resources inherit correct tags by default.

Avoid treating manual, one‑off fixes as the primary solution; prioritize systemic changes that prevent regressions.

Track Progress and Keep Momentum​

  • Refresh dashboards and reports regularly to show:
    • Reduction in untagged or poorly tagged spend.
    • Improvements in allocation coverage.
  • Celebrate wins and highlight teams that have reached tagging targets.
  • Offer follow‑up support for teams still struggling with complex environments.

Move to Continuous Governance​

Once the initial campaign meets its goals:

  • Add ongoing checks using policies and queries to catch regressions early.
  • Include tagging compliance in KPIs and operational reviews.
  • Fold tagging requirements into onboarding and change processes for new projects and accounts.

This ensures tagging quality stays high and Cost Management continues to deliver accurate, trusted views.