Create a budget at the right Azure scope and get alerts before cloud spending exceeds your target.
Check the scope and permissions
Azure budgets can track a subscription or resource group. Choose the scope that matches the costs you want to monitor. You need sufficient access to create a budget; a new subscription can take up to 48 hours before Cost Management features become available.
Create the budget
- In the Azure portal, open the subscription or resource group you want to monitor and select Budgets.
- Select Add and confirm the scope and any filters. Give the budget a clear name.
- Choose a monthly, quarterly, or annual reset period, an expiration date, and a budget amount. If the billing period matters, compare calendar and billing-period options.
- Select Next to configure alerts before saving.
Add useful alert thresholds
Add at least one actual-cost threshold and an email recipient. For example, alerts at 50%, 80%, and 100% can give a team time to investigate. A forecasted-cost alert can flag a projected overrun before actual spending reaches the limit. Check that the recipients receive messages from azure-noreply@microsoft.com.
Check what an alert does
A budget tracks and alerts on cost; creating one does not by itself cap Azure usage or stop resources. Review Cost Analysis after setup and adjust the scope, thresholds, and amount as spending patterns change. For automated responses, Microsoft documents action groups at supported subscription and resource-group scopes.
Sources
Microsoft Learn: Create and manage budgets; Microsoft Learn: Use cost alerts.
