Quick Start Guide

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• An AWS account with administrator access (required to create IAM roles)
• Your 12-digit AWS Account ID
• Permission to deploy CloudFormation stacks

Step 1: Sign Up for CloudWrangler

1. Go to cloudwrangler.io
2. Click Sign Up and create your account
3. Verify your email address
4. Log in to the CloudWrangler dashboard

Step 2: Add Your First AWS Account

Adding an AWS account is quick and easy. CloudWrangler will guide you through the process.

1. From the dashboard, click Add AWS Account
2. You'll see your list of AWS accounts (currently empty)

3. Click Add Account to begin the setup wizard

For detailed instructions on each setup method, see our comprehensive guide: Adding Your AWS Account →

Quick Setup (CloudFormation - Recommended)

The fastest way to connect your AWS account:

1. Enter your AWS Account ID and a friendly name
2. Click the CloudFormation Quick Create link
3. In the AWS Console, check the acknowledgment box
4. Click Create Stack
5. Wait 2-3 minutes for the stack to complete
6. Return to CloudWrangler and click Verify Connection

Step 3: View Your Dashboard

Once your account is connected, CloudWrangler immediately starts discovering resources:

What You'll See:

Resource Overview

• Total count of EC2 instances, RDS databases, load balancers
• Resource distribution by region
• Quick status indicators

Cost Savings

• Immediate cost optimization recommendations
• Potential monthly savings
• Number of findings requiring attention

Account Status

• Connection verification status
• Last discovery run timestamp
• Enabled regions

Step 4: Explore Cost Savings

One of CloudWrangler's most powerful features is automatic cost optimization:

1. Click Cost Savings in the navigation menu
2. Review the list of findings
3. Click on any finding to see:
   • Detailed description
   • Affected resources
   • Implementation recommendations
   • Potential savings amount

Learn more about Cost Savings →

Next Steps

Explore Your Infrastructure

Network Topology

• View your VPC architecture
• See subnets, gateways, and connections
• Analyze security groups and route tables

Network Topology Guide →

Infrastructure Diagram

• Visual map of all your resources
• See how resources are connected
• Interactive exploration

Infrastructure Diagram Guide →

Enable Advanced Features (Optional)

VPC Flow Logs Analysis

• Analyze network traffic patterns
• Identify security issues
• Troubleshoot connectivity problems

VPC Flow Logs Setup →

VPC Flow Logs Search

• View traffic for specific resources
• See accepted and blocked connections
• Traffic from past 24 hours

Flow Logs Search Guide →

Add More Accounts

Managing multiple AWS accounts? Add them all to get a unified view:

1. Click Settings → AWS Accounts
2. Click Add Account for each additional account
3. Follow the same setup process

Troubleshooting

Connection Verification Failed

If CloudWrangler can't connect to your AWS account:

Check the IAM Role

aws iam get-role --role-name CloudWranglerAccessRole

Verify the Trust Policy

• External ID must match your CloudWrangler workspace ID
• Trusted account must be: 119632503960

Confirm Permissions

• The role must have the ReadOnlyAccess policy attached
• Check: AWS Console → IAM → Roles → CloudWranglerAccessRole → Permissions

No Resources Appearing

If your dashboard shows zero resources:

1. Wait a few minutes - Discovery takes 2-5 minutes
2. Check enabled regions - Make sure you've selected regions with resources
3. Verify IAM permissions - The role needs ReadOnlyAccess policy
4. Check CloudWatch Logs - Look for error messages in the discovery logs

Resources Discovered But No Cost Savings

Cost analysis runs after resource discovery:

• Wait 5-10 minutes for the first cost analysis to complete
• Some resources may not have cost optimization opportunities
• Check back daily as new findings are discovered

Need Help?

What's Next?

Congratulations! You've successfully connected CloudWrangler to your AWS account. Here are some recommended next steps:

1. Review cost savings - Start optimizing your AWS spend immediately
2. Explore network topology - Understand your VPC architecture
3. Add more accounts - Get a unified view of all your AWS infrastructure
4. Enable VPC Flow Logs - Unlock traffic analysis features (optional)

Ready to dive deeper? Check out our Features Documentation to learn about all the powerful capabilities CloudWrangler offers.