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Cloud Tagging: Virtual Tags for Cost Attribution

Spotto tags are virtual tags kept inside Spotto. Tag rules apply them across your resources, so you can attribute cost by product, team, environment or cost centre without write access to Azure.

Manage them under Settings -> Settings -> Tags.

How Spotto tags are applied​

Tag rules read each Azure resource, matching on subscription, resource group, resource type, name, location or existing Azure tags. A rule has a condition built visually or in JSONata, a scope, an action that sets a value or deletes a key, and a priority where the lowest number wins. The result is Spotto tags, stored in Spotto next to Azure tags and used to filter Resources, slice the Cost Tree and attribute cost. They are never written back to Azure. Example: a priority 10 rule sets Environment to Production on production resource groups; a priority 500 rule sets Unassigned everywhere else.Tag rules read each Azure resource, matching on subscription, resource group, resource type, name, location or existing Azure tags. A rule has a condition built visually or in JSONata, a scope, an action that sets a value or deletes a key, and a priority where the lowest number wins. The result is Spotto tags, stored in Spotto next to Azure tags and used to filter Resources, slice the Cost Tree and attribute cost. They are never written back to Azure. Example: a priority 10 rule sets Environment to Production on production resource groups; a priority 500 rule sets Unassigned everywhere else.

The visual builder covers equals, contains, starts with and lists. Use JSONata for anything more complex. Give fallback rules a high priority number so specific rules win.

Common rules:

  • By owner: tag a platform team's shared services by resource type and naming convention.
  • Clean up values: map Env: prod to Environment: Production for reporting.

Start with the tags that unlock the most reporting, usually Product, Environment, Owner, Team and Cost Center.

Spotto tags and Azure tags​

Spotto shows both on every resource, and you can filter by either or both.

Azure tagsSpotto tags
Stored inAzure resource metadataSpotto
Needs Azure write accessYesNo
Can be overwritten by infrastructure-as-codeYesNo
Best forAzure Policy, RBAC and automation that runs in AzureCost attribution, filtering and reporting in Spotto

Keep using Azure tags for anything that runs inside Azure. Use Spotto tags when the goal is attribution and reporting, especially when tagging in Azure is locked down, inconsistent or patchy.

Agree a tagging standard​

On the Tags page, Business Value (beside Notes) frames the decision your organization needs to make about tagging. It uses your saved rules and strategy, but configured rules don't by themselves prove how many resources are covered.

A good standard names:

  • mandatory keys and allowed values, for billing allocation, ownership, environment, criticality, lifecycle and data classification
  • the taxonomy owner and who can approve exceptions
  • a coverage target, who fixes gaps, and how often it's reviewed

Generate tailors the narrative for permitted users and saves it for this scope. Clear removes the tailored narrative and restores the standard content, without touching Customer Context or your rules. Regenerate when things change. Above 100 subscriptions the standard brief is shown without tailoring.

Store classification labels only, never sensitive content or secrets. Spotto tags don't write Azure tags or configure schedules.

FAQ​

Do Spotto tags change anything in Azure? No. They exist only in Spotto.

Can I still use Azure tags? Yes. Spotto reads them, shows them next to Spotto tags, and rules can match on them.