Overview
This node integrates with AWS Cost Explorer to retrieve dimension values related to your AWS costs and usage. Specifically, the Dimension Values - Get operation fetches possible values for a selected cost dimension (such as Service, Linked Account, Instance Type, or Region) within a fixed time period (currently hardcoded to the year 2023).
This node is useful when you want to dynamically discover which dimension values exist in your AWS billing data, for example:
- Listing all AWS services that incurred costs in 2023.
- Finding all linked accounts contributing to your consolidated bill.
- Identifying instance types or regions used during the year.
Such information can help build dynamic filters or reports based on actual dimension values present in your cost data.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dimension | The cost dimension to retrieve values for. Options: Service, Linked Account, Instance Type, Region. |
Output
The node outputs an array of JSON objects representing the response from AWS Cost Explorer's GetDimensionValues API call. Each object contains the dimension values found for the specified dimension within the fixed time period (2023-01-01 to 2023-12-31). The exact structure follows AWS SDK's response format, typically including fields like DimensionValues listing the available values.
No binary data output is produced by this operation.
Dependencies
- Requires valid AWS credentials with permissions to access AWS Cost Explorer.
- The node uses the official AWS SDK client for Cost Explorer (
@aws-sdk/client-cost-explorer). - Credentials must include an access key ID, secret access key, and region.
- The node expects these credentials to be configured in n8n under an API key authentication credential.
Troubleshooting
Common issues:
- Invalid or missing AWS credentials will cause authentication errors.
- Insufficient IAM permissions for Cost Explorer APIs will result in authorization failures.
- The time period for dimension values is currently hardcoded; if your data does not cover 2023, no results may be returned.
Error messages:
- Errors from AWS SDK calls are caught and either thrown or returned as error objects if "Continue On Fail" is enabled.
- Typical error messages include authentication failures, permission denied, or invalid parameter errors.
Resolutions:
- Verify AWS credentials and ensure they have Cost Explorer read permissions.
- Adjust the node or code if you need dimension values for a different time period (currently fixed).
- Enable "Continue On Fail" to handle partial failures gracefully.