---
title: "Auto create groups"
slug: "auto-create-groups"
updated: 2026-10-29T11:13:36Z
published: 2026-10-29T11:13:36Z
canonical: "docs.turbo360.com/auto-create-groups"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.turbo360.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Auto create groups

## Overview

**Auto create groups** automates the creation of cost management groups in Cost Analyzer using rules based on subscription, resource group, resource type, region, service name, and tags. Rules are evaluated daily, so new groups are created automatically as your Azure environment changes.

### Business value

Auto create groups removes the manual effort of creating and maintaining cost management groups as subscriptions, resources, and tags evolve. Rules keep your group structure current without repeated manual reconfiguration.

## Prerequisites

An existing cost management group in Cost Analyzer is required as the starting point for configuring automation rules.

### Required permissions

| Role | Permission level | Access |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Account owner, Owner, Contributor | - | Full access to Auto create groups |
| Custom role | - | No access to Auto create groups |

## How it works

- Automation rules are defined at the cost management group level using a **Filter Type:** Subscription, Resource type, Resource group, Location, Service name, or Tag.
- Rules are evaluated daily, and any matching items result in the automatic creation of groups.
- **Child rules** let you create nested child groups based on the same automation logic.
- Saved rules execute immediately, then recur daily at the time of the last save.

## Steps

Use the following steps to configure and run group automation rules. Navigate to the **Context menu ( ⋮ )** of the relevant cost management group to get started.

### Configure automation rules

Configuring an automation rule sets up the filter logic Cost Analyzer uses to automatically create groups on a daily schedule.

1. Click the **Context menu ( ⋮ )** next to the cost management group in the tree view.
2. Select **Configure** to open **Auto create group**.
3. Add a new automation rule by selecting **Group rule**.
4. Choose a **Filter Type** (Subscription, Resource type, Resource group, Location, Service name, or Tag) and specify the items to include in the **Includes** field.
5. Add any items to exclude from the automated group in the **Excludes** field.
6. Click **Child rule** to create nested child groups based on the defined rule.
7. Use **Delete** to remove a rule, or **Discard** to revert unsaved changes.
8. Click **Validate** to preview the resulting groups in a tree view based on the configured rules.
9. Click **View scope** to see the filter items applied to each group.
10. Click **Save** to persist and activate the rule.

The rule runs immediately after saving and then recurs daily at the time of the last save.

**Service name rules**

A rule with **Service name** as the **Filter Type** creates one group for each service name, and each generated group gets a Service name filter in its scope.

- **Includes and Excludes:** select service names under their subscriptions to limit which service names produce groups. If **Includes** is empty, Cost Analyzer looks up the available service names itself.
- **Groups name syntax:** use `{serviceName}` to insert the service name in the names of the generated groups. Cost Analyzer fills it in when you select the rule, and replaces it with the service name of each group. If the syntax contains a placeholder that has no matching rule at that level, **Syntax is not supported** appears.
- **One rule per chain:** you can use **Service name** only once across a rule and its child rules.
- **Service names list:** the list shows lowercase service names from cost data imported for roughly the last two months.

Because each generated group has a Service name filter in its scope, the same inheritance rules and limitations apply as for scopes you set manually. See [Managing cost groups](https://docs.turbo360.com/docs/managing-cost-management-groups).

### Run group automation instantly

Running a rule instantly creates groups immediately instead of waiting for the next daily evaluation.

1. Open the **Context menu ( ⋮ )** of the relevant cost management group.
2. Click **Run now** on the **Auto create groups** card to trigger group creation immediately.

The card also shows the run details, a **toggle** to enable or disable the automation, and an **Edit** option to update the configured rules.

## Configuration

| Option | Type | Default | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Filter type | Selection (Subscription / Resource type / Resource group / Location / Service name / Tag) | - | Yes | The attribute used to match resources for automatic group creation. |
| Includes | List of filter items | - | Yes | Items matching the selected filter type that should be included in the automated group. |
| Excludes | List of filter items | - | No | Items to exclude from the automated group even if they match the Includes filter. |
| Child rule | Rule definition | - | No | Defines nested child groups under the parent automation rule. |
| Groups name syntax | Text | Filled in when you select a rule | Yes | The naming pattern for the generated groups. Use `{serviceName}` to insert the service name in groups generated by a Service name rule. |

## Example scenario

A cloud team creates an automation rule on their "Production" cost management group using **Resource group** as the filter type, including all resource groups tagged `env:prod`. A child rule further splits the group by **Location**. The rule runs daily, automatically creating and updating subgroups as new tagged resource groups are deployed.

## Troubleshooting

1. **Groups are not being created after saving the rule** Cause: The filter items in the **Includes** field may not match any resources in the connected Azure subscriptions, or the subscription hasn't been scanned since the rule was saved. Fix: Click **Validate** to preview which groups the rule would create. If the tree view is empty, review the filter type and included items to ensure they match existing resources.
2. **Automation stopped creating new groups after it was working** Cause: The resources that previously matched the filter may have been deleted, renamed, or re-tagged in Azure. Fix: Click **Validate** to check the current expected output. Update the Includes or Excludes fields to reflect the current state of your Azure environment, then save the rule again to reset the daily schedule.
3. **Child groups are not appearing under the parent group** Cause: The child rule may not match any resources, or it may conflict with an Excludes entry in the parent rule. Fix: Open the **Configure** panel and click **Validate** to check whether the child rule produces any results. Adjust the child rule filter and re-save.
4. **The Run now option is not visible** Cause: No automation rule has been configured for this cost management group yet. Fix: Configure at least one automation rule and save it. The **Auto create groups** card with the **Run now** option appears in the group's context menu once a rule exists.
5. **An automation rule was deleted but the groups it created still exist** Cause: Deleting an automation rule stops future automatic group creation. It does not remove groups that were already created. Fix: Manually delete any groups that are no longer needed from the tree view.

## FAQs

1. **Who can configure Auto create groups?** Only Account owner, Owner, and Contributor roles have access. Custom roles cannot configure or use this feature, regardless of assigned permissions.
2. **How often do automation rules run?** Rules run immediately after saving, then recur daily at the time of the last save.
3. **Can I preview which groups a rule will create before saving it?** Yes. Click **Validate** to preview the resulting groups in a tree view based on the configured rule, and **View scope** to see the filter items applied to each group.

## Related articles

- [Cost management groups](https://docs.turbo360.com/docs/cost-management-groups)
- [Group budget monitoring](https://docs.turbo360.com/docs/group-budget-monitoring)
- [Managing escalation policies in Cost Analyzer](https://docs.turbo360.com/docs/managing-escalation-policies-in-cost-analyzer)