Overview
Each dashboard contains one or more widgets. A widget keeps the query context behind it: metric, formula, filters, group-by, selected period, comparison period, and event context. Use dashboards to:- Give teams a self-service view of their own spend with and views
- Track executive KPIs such as total spend, top cost drivers, budget progress, and month-over-month movement
- Monitor coverage, Kubernetes waste, unit economics, and other FinOps metrics
- Combine cost data with usage metrics and events so teams can explain cost changes from the same page
Dashboard workflows
Create and organize dashboards
Create dashboards from Explorer, add widgets manually, and organize dashboards with tags.
Dashboard templates
Start from pre-built FinOps dashboards for executives, teams, commitments, Kubernetes, and network costs.
Widgets and chart types
Choose bar, line, waterfall, doughnut, table, budget, and KPI widgets for the right analysis.
Quick Share
Share a dashboard or widget link for ad-hoc collaboration.
Prerequisites
- At least one cloud provider connected to Costory: AWS, GCP, or Azure
- Optional dimensions for team, product, environment, or cost-center breakdowns
- Optional usage metrics for unit economics widgets
- Optional Teams for team-owned dashboards and default scopes
How dashboards relate to Explorer
Explorer is where you investigate a specific question with filters, group-bys, formulas, and comparison periods. Dashboards are where you keep the useful result. When you save an Explorer query as a dashboard widget, Costory keeps the same query configuration. The widget refreshes as new billing data arrives, so the dashboard stays current without rebuilding the analysis.Example dashboard patterns
| Dashboard | Typical widgets |
|---|---|
| Team cost overview | Cost trend by service, budget progress, top cost drivers, cost per user |
| Executive overview | Total spend, month-over-month change, budget vs actual, top teams or products |
| Commitment coverage | Savings Plan and CUD coverage, uncovered spend, utilization trend |
| Kubernetes cost review | Namespace cost, workload cost, idle or waste indicators, usage ratios |
| Migration tracker | Before-and-after cost trend, event markers, waterfall by service or account |
Sharing and delivery
Dashboards support several sharing workflows:- Send a direct link to a dashboard for logged-in Costory users.
- Use Quick Share for an ad-hoc public link when you need to share outside the normal Costory workflow.
- Schedule a dashboard snapshot as a Cost Report to Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email.
- Assign a dashboard to a Team so members see the right dashboards by default.
- Copy the widget SQL for BigQuery workflows when your organization uses BigQuery Data Exports.
Frequently asked questions
Can I create a dashboard from Explorer?
Can I create a dashboard from Explorer?
Yes. Build the query in Explorer, then save it as a dashboard widget. See Create and organize dashboards for the steps.
Can a dashboard include cost and usage metrics together?
Can a dashboard include cost and usage metrics together?
Yes. Dashboard widgets can use formulas that combine cloud cost with usage metrics, such as cost per active user or cost per build minute.
Can dashboards be used for chargeback reporting?
Can dashboards be used for chargeback reporting?
Yes. Combine dimensions, Shared Cost Allocation, budget widgets, and scheduled Cost Reports to support chargeback workflows.
How often do dashboards refresh?
How often do dashboards refresh?
Dashboards reflect the latest billing data available in Costory. See Data Refresh for ingestion timing.
Related links
Explorer
Build the queries that power dashboard widgets.
Cost Reports
Schedule dashboard snapshots to Slack, Teams, or email.
Dimensions
Create team-level and product-level cost groupings.
Budgets
Set spending targets and track progress on dashboards.