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Step-by-step tutorials and video guides

6 min read
Updated 2026-02-24

Tutorials & Guides

Step-by-step tutorials to help you get the most out of OpsCurb.

🎓 Getting Started Tutorials

Tutorial 1: Your First Scan (10 minutes)

What you'll learn: Set up OpsCurb and run your first scan

Steps:

  1. Create Account (2 min)

  2. Connect AWS Account (5 min)

    • Generate External ID: python generate_external_id.py
    • Deploy IAM role using Terraform: 
      cd terraform/
cp terraform.tfvars.example terraform.tfvars
# Edit terraform.tfvars
terraform init && terraform apply
    • Add account in dashboard

  3. Run First Scan (1 min)

    • Click "Run Scan Now"
    • Wait 2-5 minutes
    • Review findings

  4. Explore Results (2 min)

    • Filter by severity
    • Sort by cost
    • Export to CSV

Video: Watch Tutorial →

Tutorial 2: Understanding Findings (15 minutes)

What you'll learn: How to interpret and prioritize findings

Topics:

  1. Severity Levels

    • High: >$50/month
    • Medium: $10-$50/month
    • Low: <$10/month

  2. Finding Categories

    • Idle Resources
    • Aged Snapshots
    • Zombie Resources
    • Storage Optimization
    • Network Optimization
    • Monitoring Waste

  3. Cost Calculations

    • Monthly vs. Annual
    • How we estimate costs
    • Accuracy expectations

  4. Recommendations

    • What each recommendation means
    • How to implement
    • Risks to consider

Video: Watch Tutorial →

Tutorial 3: Implementing Recommendations (20 minutes)

What you'll learn: How to safely implement cost-saving recommendations

Example: Delete an unattached EBS volume

Steps:

  1. Verify the Finding

    aws ec2 describe-volumes --volume-ids vol-0123456789abcdef0

  2. Check if Volume is Needed

    • Review volume tags
    • Check creation date
    • Verify no recent attachments

  3. Create Backup (Optional)

    aws ec2 create-snapshot \
  --volume-id vol-0123456789abcdef0 \
  --description "Backup before deletion"

  4. Delete Volume

    aws ec2 delete-volume --volume-id vol-0123456789abcdef0

  5. Verify Deletion

    aws ec2 describe-volumes --volume-ids vol-0123456789abcdef0
# Should return error: volume not found

  6. Track Savings

    • Mark finding as "Resolved" in dashboard
    • OpsCurb will track your savings

Video: Watch Tutorial →

🔧 Advanced Tutorials

Tutorial 4: Setting Up Notifications (10 minutes)

What you'll learn: Configure Slack, Discord, and Email notifications

Slack Setup:

  1. Go to Settings → Integrations → Slack
  2. Click "Connect Slack"
  3. Authorize in your workspace
  4. Select channel
  5. Configure preferences
  6. Test notification

Discord Setup:

  1. Create webhook in Discord server
  2. Copy webhook URL
  3. Paste in OpsCurb settings
  4. Test notification

Email Setup:

  1. Verify email address
  2. Enable email notifications
  3. Select triggers
  4. Choose frequency

Video: Watch Tutorial →

Tutorial 5: Using the API (30 minutes)

What you'll learn: Programmatic access to OpsCurb data

Prerequisites:

  • Starter plan or higher
  • Basic programming knowledge

Steps:

  1. Generate API Token

    • Settings → API Keys → Generate New
    • Copy token (shown once)

  2. Test Connection

    curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  https://api.opscurb.com/api/health

  3. Get Scans

    import requests

headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"}
response = requests.get(
    "https://api.opscurb.com/api/scans",
    headers=headers
)
scans = response.json()["scans"]

  4. Get Findings

    response = requests.get(
    "https://api.opscurb.com/api/findings?severity=high",
    headers=headers
)
findings = response.json()["findings"]

  5. Get AI Recommendations

    finding_id = findings[0]["id"]
response = requests.get(
    f"https://api.opscurb.com/api/recommendations/{finding_id}/instructions",
    headers=headers
)
instructions = response.json()

Full Documentation: API_DOCUMENTATION.md

Video: Watch Tutorial →

Tutorial 6: Multi-Account Setup (20 minutes)

What you'll learn: Manage multiple AWS accounts

Use Cases:

  • Production + Staging + Development
  • Multiple clients (agencies)
  • Different business units

Steps:

  1. For Each Account:

    • Generate unique External ID
    • Deploy IAM role
    • Add to OpsCurb

  2. Organize Accounts:

    • Name accounts clearly (e.g., "Production", "Staging")
    • Add tags for filtering
    • Set scan schedules

  3. View Consolidated Results:

    • Dashboard shows all accounts
    • Filter by account
    • Compare costs across accounts

  4. Set Up Account-Specific Notifications:

    • Different Slack channels per account
    • Account-specific email lists
    • Severity thresholds per account

Video: Watch Tutorial →

💡 Use Case Tutorials

Tutorial 7: Monthly Cost Review Process (15 minutes)

What you'll learn: Establish a monthly cost optimization routine

Process:

  1. Week 1: Review Findings

    • Run manual scan
    • Review high-severity findings
    • Prioritize by ROI

  2. Week 2: Implement Quick Wins

    • Delete unattached volumes
    • Release unused Elastic IPs
    • Delete aged snapshots

  3. Week 3: Investigate Complex Issues

    • Zombie RDS instances
    • NAT Gateway optimization
    • S3 lifecycle policies

  4. Week 4: Track Progress

    • Review savings dashboard
    • Update team on progress
    • Plan next month

Template: Download Monthly Review Template

Tutorial 8: Team Collaboration (10 minutes)

What you'll learn: Work with your team on cost optimization

Steps:

  1. Invite Team Members

    • Settings → Team → Invite
    • Assign roles (Admin, Member, Viewer)

  2. Assign Findings

    • Assign findings to team members
    • Set due dates
    • Track progress

  3. Comment on Findings

    • Discuss implementation
    • Share insights
    • Document decisions

  4. Weekly Team Review

    • Review findings together
    • Discuss priorities
    • Celebrate wins

Tutorial 9: Automated Reporting (15 minutes)

What you'll learn: Set up automated weekly reports

Steps:

  1. Enable Weekly Reports

    • Settings → Reports → Enable Weekly Reports
    • Choose format (PDF, HTML, Markdown)
    • Select recipients

  2. Customize Report Content

    • Summary statistics
    • Top findings
    • Savings trends
    • Recommendations

  3. Schedule Delivery

    • Day of week (e.g., Monday)
    • Time (e.g., 8 AM)
    • Timezone

  4. Share with Stakeholders

    • Forward to management
    • Include in team meetings
    • Track progress over time

🎬 Video Tutorials

All tutorials available as videos:

Getting Started:

Advanced:

Use Cases:

📚 Additional Resources

Documentation:

Community:

Support:

🎯 Learning Paths

For Beginners

  1. Tutorial 1: Your First Scan
  2. Tutorial 2: Understanding Findings
  3. Tutorial 3: Implementing Recommendations
  4. Tutorial 4: Setting Up Notifications

For Teams

  1. Tutorial 6: Multi-Account Setup
  2. Tutorial 8: Team Collaboration
  3. Tutorial 7: Monthly Cost Review Process
  4. Tutorial 9: Automated Reporting

For Developers

  1. Tutorial 5: Using the API
  2. API Documentation
  3. Custom Integrations
  4. Webhook Setup (coming soon)

Last Updated: 2026-02-24
Version: 1.0