Cost Optimization

From the author

Optimize existing Azure resources and analyze Reservations or Savings Plans. WHEN: "optimize Azure costs", "reduce cloud spending", "rightsize resources", "find idle resources", "orphaned disk", "deleted VM still charged", "public IP still charging", "reservation utilization", "Savings Plan coverage", "commitment recommendation", "why is pay-as-you-go still charged". DO NOT USE FOR: cost spikes, forecasts, pricing estimates, budgets, or governance.

— the description by Microsoft

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

The cost-optimization skill provides a systematic approach to reducing Azure cloud spending. It focuses on two primary areas: identifying waste through resource rightsizing and evaluating the efficiency of existing Reservations and Savings Plans. The skill emphasizes data-driven analysis using Azure Resource Graph and cost management tools, requiring users to validate findings before taking action. It strictly prohibits automated resource modifications, ensuring that all recommendations for resizing, deletion, or commitment changes are presented with clear evidence, feasibility assessments, and potential trade-offs.

What it does

Analyzes Azure resource utilization to identify potential cost savings.
Evaluates the performance and coverage of existing Reservations and Savings Plans.
Provides a structured process for rightsizing resources based on factual inventory and usage data.
Distinguishes between utilization, coverage, and savings metrics for financial reporting.
Integrates with service-specific guidance for storage and caching resources.
Ensures that cost-saving actions do not conflict with existing commitments or reliability requirements.

When to use it

When you need to identify and eliminate waste in your Azure environment.
When investigating why pay-as-you-go costs are higher than expected.
When evaluating whether to purchase, exchange, or adjust Azure Reservations or Savings Plans.
When looking for orphaned resources like unattached disks or idle public IPs.
When you need to rightsize existing virtual machines or services to match actual demand.

Advantages

Promotes safe, evidence-based decision-making by requiring owner confirmation.
Prevents double-counting savings between rightsizing actions and commitment benefits.
Provides clear separation between measured costs and projected savings.
Standardizes the analysis of complex billing scopes and commitment terms.
Reduces the risk of accidental resource deletion or service disruption.

Usage examples

“How can I reduce my Azure spending for this month?”: The agent will initiate a cost analysis workflow, querying current resource usage and Advisor recommendations to identify high-impact, feasible savings opportunities.
“Are my Azure Reservations being used effectively?”: The agent will analyze your billing scope to report on reservation utilization and coverage, highlighting underutilized commitments for potential adjustment.

Install

Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/microsoft/cost-optimization/download

Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip cost-optimization.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Microsoft

Azure Cost Optimization

Quick Reference

Intent	Workflow	Primary tools
Reduce waste or rightsize	Optimization	Cost and Resource Graph tools
Review commitments	Commitments	`list_benefit_utilization`, `list_reservation_transactions`, `get_benefit_recommendations`

When to Use This Skill

Use for waste, rightsizing, and commitments.

MCP Tools

Use cost and Resource Graph tools for optimization and benefit tools for commitments. Validate queries. Fallback: API mappings.

Workflow

Confirm scope, period, currency, and commitment intent.
Load only the matching workflow above.
Never transform MCP results in a shell or interpreter; request validated server-side projection, aggregation, or bounded follow-up queries.
Separate measured cost, reported savings, and qualitative opportunities.
Recommend changes only; do not delete, resize, purchase, or deploy resources.

Error Handling

Error	Action
Access denied	Name the scope and permission.
Multiple currencies	Group and report each currency separately.
Missing evidence	State the gap; do not invent values.
Server error	Retry once; then report the trace ID.

Files

ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer977 B
LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.1 KiB
SKILL.md1.9 KiB
references/commitments.md2.9 KiB
references/optimization.md3.0 KiB
references/report-template.md1.7 KiB
references/resource-graph.md3.3 KiB
references/services/redis.md2.1 KiB
references/services/storage-lifecycle.md1.7 KiB
references/services/storage.md3.8 KiB
references/tool-fallback.md1.4 KiB

LICENSE

MIT License

Copyright 2025 (c) Microsoft Corporation.

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Security

No issues found by our static scan· No issues found

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

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Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download cost-optimization.zip