Cloud cost glossary

Resource tagging

Also known as: Tags, Labels

Tagging attaches key-value metadata (like team, environment, or cost-center) to cloud resources so spend can be grouped, filtered, and allocated.

Tags are the connective tissue of cost allocation. A consistent tagging policy — enforced through automation or policy-as-code — makes it possible to answer "how much does this product cost?" instead of only "how much did we spend?"

Common pitfalls are inconsistent tag keys, missing tags on auto-created resources, and no enforcement, all of which erode allocation accuracy over time.

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Part of the SpendArk cloud cost & FinOps glossary.