Troubleshooting Cost Report API – Redis Knowledge Base

The Cost Report API in Redis Cloud generates FOCUS-compliant cost files (CSV or JSON) for your subscriptions and databases. Reports are created asynchronously and must be retrieved using the task workflow, and output may differ from invoices because the API returns list-price usage with optional filtering.

This article walks through the prerequisites required to generate a valid report, provides a Quick Fix Table for the most common request and filtering errors, details step-by-step troubleshooting for request bodies, async behavior, and output validation, and outlines known behaviors and workarounds that explain differences from invoices and tag-handling nuances.

Read more here: Generate FOCUS-compliant cost report

Prerequisites

You’re using Owner or Viewer credentials (not Billing Admin).
startDate / endDate use YYYY-MM-DD with a range ≤ 40 days.
You follow the async flow: POST /cost-report → poll GET /tasks/{taskId} until status=processing-completed → GET /cost-report/{costReportId}.

Quick Fix Table

Problem	Likely cause	Fast fix
“Forbidden” as Billing Admin	Role mismatch for this endpoint	Use an Owner or Viewer API key.
400 / “Invalid request”	Dates not `YYYY-MM-DD` or range > 40 days	Correct the date format and keep the range ≤ 40 days.
Report never appears	Task status not polled to completion	Poll `GET /tasks/{taskId}` until `status=processing-completed`, then use `costReportId`.
Empty or overly broad output	Missing/loose filters	Add `subscriptionIds`, `databaseIds`, `subscriptionType`, `regions`, `tags`.
Tag filter ignored	Tag objects missing `key` or `value`	Provide both `key` and `value` for each tag.
Got JSON but expected CSV	`format` not set explicitly	Set `"format":"csv"` in the request (CSV is default but set explicitly if tooling expects).
Totals differ from invoice	List-price view; network costs may lag near month-end	Reconcile with invoice/marketplace bill; re-run after finalization if needed.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

Request body: Require startDate, endDate (YYYY-MM-DD, ≤ 40 days). Add filters as needed: format, subscriptionIds, databaseIds, subscriptionType (essentials/pro), regions, tags (each with key and value).
Async workflow: Generate (POST /cost-report → taskId), poll (GET /tasks/{taskId} → status=processing-completed), then download (GET /cost-report/{costReportId}).
Validate output: File includes all FOCUS columns; if sparse, tighten filters and verify the date window and actual usage.
Invoice parity: Expect differences vs invoices due to list price, discounts/credits, and timing (especially network-cost finalization).

Known Behaviors & Workarounds

Behavior	What This Means	Workaround / Note
Role differs from Console	Console permissions don’t map 1:1 to API	Use Owner/Viewer for API generation.
Date window cap	Requests must use `YYYY-MM-DD`, max 40 days	Split larger timeframes into multiple requests.
Strict tag filter	Missing either `key` or `value` drops the filter	Send complete tag objects; validate server response.
FOCUS-compliant output	All FOCUS columns for FinOps tools	Use CSV/JSON directly in BI pipelines.
Timing differences vs invoices	List price only; network cost finalization may lag	Reconcile post-finalization; re-run near month-end +72h if needed.

Related to

Prerequisites

Quick Fix Table

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

Known Behaviors & Workarounds

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