Cost optimization checklist

Overview

The Cost intelligence view for resources in Cost Analyzer includes a built-in AI capability, Cost optimization checklist, available under AI Agents, that runs a prioritized audit of cost issues and quick wins for an Azure resource — covering networking, redundancy, tier, licensing, storage, scaling, and security configurations.

What the AI Agent analyzes

• Resource type, SKU, tier, and amortized cost
• Networking configuration and public access exposure
• Replication and redundancy settings
• Reservation and licensing applicability
• Storage and disk configuration
• Auto-scaling and scheduling controls
• Security settings — authentication, access controls, and encryption
• Azure Advisor findings for the resource

Insight breakdown

1. Efficiency score

An overall score out of 100 reflecting how well the resource is optimized, along with a summary count of items across each priority — Do Now, Review, Pass, and Optional.

2. Checklist items

Each finding is grouped by category and labeled with a priority action and estimated monthly saving:

• Do Now — immediate action recommended, with a potential cost saving.
• Review — investigate further before acting.
• Pass — no action needed, already optimized.
• Optional — low-risk improvements that are not critical.

The categories covered in the checklist include:

• Networking — public access exposure and network ACL configuration.
• Replication & Redundancy — whether the current redundancy tier matches actual durability requirements.
• Tier & Compute — SKU and compute tier suitability based on usage patterns.
• Reservation & Licensing — applicability of reserved instances and Azure Hybrid Benefit.
• Storage & Disks — unattached disks, snapshots, and disk tiering costs.
• Auto-scaling & Scheduling — availability of auto-pause, scale-down, or scheduling controls to reduce idle spend.
• Optional Optimizations — authentication and governance improvements with low or no direct cost impact.

3. Risk and effort tags

Each item is tagged with a Risk level (High, Medium, or Low) and an Effort estimate (Quick fix or Requires planning) to help prioritize remediation.

Sample illustration

The GIF below highlight the insights provided by the AI Agent for an Azure App Service Plan resource:

Export

The full checklist can be downloaded as an Excel file using the Download checklist button at the bottom of the panel.

The exported file includes the efficiency score, priority summary, and all checklist items with their section, description, risk level, effort, action, and estimated saving.