resource-tagging

# Resource Tagging

Apply comprehensive cloud resource tagging strategies to enable cost allocation, ownership tracking, compliance enforcement, and infrastructure automation across multi-cloud environments.

## Purpose

Resource tagging provides the foundational metadata layer for cloud governance. Tags enable precise cost allocation (reducing unallocated spend by up to 80%), rapid ownership identification, compliance scope definition, and automated lifecycle management. Without proper tagging, cloud costs become untrackable, security incidents lack context, and automation policies fail to target resources effectively.

## When to Use

Use resource tagging when:

- Implementing cloud governance frameworks for cost allocation and accountability
- Building FinOps practices requiring spend visibility by team, project, or department
- Enforcing compliance requirements (PCI, HIPAA, SOC2) through automated policies
- Setting up automated resource lifecycle management (backup, monitoring, shutdown)
- Managing multi-tenant or multi-project cloud environments
- Implementing disaster recovery and backup policies based on criticality
- Tracking resource ownership for security incident response
- Optimizing cloud costs through spend analysis and showback/chargeback

## Minimum Viable Tagging Strategy

Start with the **"Big Six"** required tags for all cloud resources:

| Tag | Purpose | Example Value |
|-----|---------|---------------|
| **Name** | Human-readable identifier | `prod-api-server-01` |
| **Environment** | Lifecycle stage | `prod` \| `staging` \| `dev` |
| **Owner** | Responsible team contact | `platform-team@company.com` |
| **CostCenter** | Finance code for billing | `CC-1234` |
| **Project** | Business initiative | `ecommerce-platform` |
| **ManagedBy** | Resource creation method | `terraform` \| `pulumi` \| `manual` |

**Optional tags** to add based on specific needs:

- **Application**: Multi-app projects requiring app-level isolation
- **Component**: Resource