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This guide covers common issues you might encounter and how to resolve them.

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Connection issues

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Overview alerts

MilkStraw AI shows access and setup problems as alerts on the Overview page. After you fix the problem, the alert clears once the next scan succeeds. MilkStraw AI scans your accounts every hour. You can also click Mark as done to hide an alert.
Cause: MilkStraw AI can’t reach one or more of your AWS accounts, so their costs and resources can’t be updated.Solution:
  1. Open the Enable accounts access alert on the Overview page. It lists the affected accounts.
  2. Click Deploy stack and complete the stack in AWS CloudFormation.
  3. If the alert lists your management account, update the MilkStrawAccessStackV2 stack in that account.
  4. Wait for the next scan.
See Permissions for required IAM policies.
Cause: Cost Explorer isn’t enabled, or IAM roles can’t read billing data in your management account.Solution:
  1. Sign in to your management account as the root user and open Account Settings.
  2. Find IAM user and role access to Billing information and click Edit.
  3. Check Activate IAM Access, then click Update.
  4. Open the Billing and Cost Management console to enable Cost Explorer.
  5. Wait up to 24 hours for cost data to load.
Cause: Your role uses an older permission set, so AWS blocks a few reads. Recommendations won’t update until the new permissions are in place.Solution:
  1. Open the Update Access alert on the Overview page. It lists the affected accounts and the missing permissions.
  2. Click Update next to Management account, and next to Sub-accounts if you connected member accounts.
  3. Submit the stack update in AWS CloudFormation.
You can also run milkstraw update with the MilkStraw CLI. Don’t edit the role policy by hand — the next stack update replaces manual changes.

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MilkBox issues

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MilkBox not appearing in AWS

Cause: Applying savings usually takes 48 hours to a week after you activate.Solution:
  1. Wait up to a week after activation
  2. Look for member accounts named like milkbox-123456 in your AWS Organization
  3. Check your email for a “More savings on the way” message
  4. Contact support if you still don’t see any MilkBoxes after a week
Cause: Commitment may not match your usage patterns or regions.Solution:
  1. Verify the commitment type matches your workload
  2. Check that usage is in the same region (for EC2 Instance Savings Plans)
  3. Review commitment details in AWS Billing console
  4. Allow 24-48 hours for full application

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Billing issues

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Savings not showing in dashboard

Cause: Savings data can take 24-48 hours to appear in Cost Explorer.Solution:
  1. Wait 48 hours after MilkBox deployment
  2. Verify commitments are active in AWS Billing console
  3. Check that Cost Explorer is showing commitment utilization
  4. Contact support if savings still not visible after 72 hours
Cause: Fee calculation may be based on different time period or savings calculation.Solution:
  1. Review the billing period in your invoice
  2. Check the savings calculation in Cost Explorer
  3. Compare the fee with your rate. The standard fee is 20% of MilkBox savings. See Billing
  4. Contact support with specific invoice details

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Performance issues

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Low commitment utilization

Cause: Usage patterns may have changed or commitment was oversized.Solution:
  1. Review recent infrastructure changes
  2. Check if workloads were scaled down or terminated
  3. Wait for MilkStraw AI to adjust recommendations
  4. Consider modifying or exchanging commitments (for Convertible RIs)
Cause: Not enough commitments purchased or new workloads added.Solution:
  1. On the Overview page, check for a Savings plans card at the top of Todo
  2. If you see one, click Activate to add coverage. See Activate and track savings
  3. Allow time for MilkStraw AI to analyze new usage patterns

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Dashboard issues

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Data not updating

Cause: Data sync may be delayed or connection issue. AWS can also take up to 2 days to report costs.Solution:
  1. Refresh the page
  2. Check your internet connection
  3. Check the Overview page for alerts about your IAM role
  4. Check the Scanned time on the Overview page. MilkStraw AI scans your accounts every hour
  5. Clear browser cache if issue persists
Cause: No payment method is on file.Solution:
  1. If you’re an Engineer, ask an Owner, Admin, or Billing member to add a payment method in Settings > Billing > Add Payment Method
  2. If you’re an Admin or Owner, click Activate and add a card in the Add a payment method dialog
  3. Try a different browser or disable browser extensions if the button still doesn’t respond
  4. Contact support if issue continues

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Getting help

If you can’t resolve your issue using this guide:

Check FAQ

Review frequently asked questions

Contact support

Schedule a call or reach out via Slack

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Diagnostic checklist

Before contacting support, gather this information:
1

Account details

  • Your MilkStraw AI account email
  • AWS account ID(s) affected
  • When the issue started
2

Error messages

  • Screenshots of any error messages
  • Browser console errors (if dashboard issue)
  • AWS CloudFormation stack events (if deployment issue)
3

What you've tried

  • Steps you’ve already taken to resolve the issue
  • Any changes made before the issue occurred
For urgent issues affecting active commitments or billing, contact support immediately via scheduled call.