TCP #46: Mastering CloudWatch Retention Policies
A no-nonsense guide to AWS Log Management
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AWS CloudWatch logs can pile up quickly.
Before you know it, you're drowning in data and bleeding money on storage costs.
Yet many teams ignore one of the most powerful cost-saving tools: CloudWatch retention policies.
In today’s newsletter, I'll explain everything you need to know about CloudWatch log retention, from the basics to implementing advanced strategies to slash your AWS bill while keeping your critical data accessible.
Understanding CloudWatch Log Retention: The Basics
CloudWatch log retention is how long AWS keeps your logs before automatically deleting them.
By default, AWS keeps your logs indefinitely - forever - which sounds great until you see your bill.
Every log event costs money to store. More logs equal more costs. It's that simple.
You need to know that CloudWatch offers predefined retention periods ranging from one day to 10 years. Once logs reach their retention period, AWS automatically deletes them, freeing up storage and reducing costs.
For example, if you set a 30-day retention policy, any log event older than 30 days gets permanently deleted. This automation means you don't have to manually clean up old logs or write custom scripts to manage the log lifecycle.
The key is finding the right balance between keeping necessary data for troubleshooting and compliance while purging what you don't need.
Why Default "Infinite" Retention Is Killing Your Budget
Running with default CloudWatch settings means your logs stay forever.
Forever is a very long time - and AWS is happy to charge you for every minute of it.
Let's put this in perspective.
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