✅ How to Enable the Cost Management Data Export API in Azure

There’s no switch to enable the Cost Management Export API — it’s available by default for supported Azure accounts. To use it, make sure your subscription type supports it and that your user or service principal has the correct permissions.

🔍 1. Verify Your Subscription Type

The Cost Management API works with the following:

  • Enterprise Agreement (EA)
  • Microsoft Customer Agreement (MCA)
  • Most Pay-As-You-Go accounts under MCA

✅ No action is needed if you’re already using one of these. If you’re on a CSP or legacy offer, check compatibility in the Azure documentation.

⚙️ 2. Register the Resource Provider (If Needed)

This step is usually automatic, but if you get a 401 Unauthorized error when using cost APIs, check and register the provider.

Check if the provider is registered:

bashCopyEditaz provider show -n Microsoft.CostManagement -o table

Register if it’s not:

bashCopyEditaz provider register -n Microsoft.CostManagement

✅ Result: Your subscription can now access Cost Management APIs.

🔐 3. Ensure You Have Proper Permissions

To use the APIs and export data:

ActionRequired Role
View cost dataReader at the subscription or billing scope
Create export jobsCost Management Contributor or Owner
Write to storageContributor + Storage Blob Data Contributor (directly or via managed identity)

✅ Result: Your user or service principal has the necessary access to use the API and write export data.

📤 4. Use the Cost Management APIs

  • On-demand cost data:
    Use the Cost Details API:
    GET /{scope}/providers/Microsoft.CostManagement/query
  • Scheduled exports:
    Use the Exports API:
    POST /{scope}/providers/Microsoft.CostManagement/exports/{exportName}

You can also schedule exports through the Azure Portal or use Power BI, which leverages the same APIs.

🧯 Troubleshooting

  • 401 errors? Check if the Microsoft.CostManagement provider is registered.
  • Permission denied? Make sure you have the right RBAC roles at both the subscription and storage account level.
  • Export fails to write to Storage? Check if the managed identity has Storage Blob Data Contributor.