In today’s cloud-driven world, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is undeniably a significant player. Whether you’re a developer, a business owner, or a tech enthusiast, you might find yourself logging into AWS for myriad reasons. Sometimes, you might wonder, “When did I even create this AWS account?” Knowing your account’s creation date can help you manage billing cycles, evaluate the length of AWS resource usage, or satisfy your curiosity. This article will guide you on how to check AWS account creation date seamlessly and straightforwardly.
Importance of Knowing Your AWS Account Creation Date
Before diving into the steps, it’s worth noting why you might need this information:
Billing and Cost Management: By understanding when your account was initiated, you can better track and anticipate monthly AWS bills.
Resource Tracking: Older accounts might have lingering resources that are no longer in use, which can impact costs and performance.
Auditing and Compliance: For businesses, especially those in regulated industries, having a precise record of account creation dates is essential for audits and compliance checks.
Steps to Check AWS Account Creation Date
Checking your AWS account creation date is easier than you might think. Follow these steps to find this information:
Step 1: Log in to the AWS Management Console using your credentials.
Step 2: Navigate to the “Billing & Cost Management Dashboard”.
Step 3: Select “Bills” from the left navigation pane.
Step 4: Scroll down to the bottom in the “Bills” section. Here, you will find a month-by-month breakdown of your AWS bills.
Step 5: The earliest date on this list is essentially your AWS account creation date. AWS starts billing you from the day you create your account, even just for the AWS Free Tier usage.
Alternative Methods to AWS Check Account Creation Date
If, for some reason, you cannot access the Billing section or if you want to double-check the account creation date, there are alternative methods:
Method A – Using AWS CLI:
If you have the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI) set up:
- Open your terminal or command prompt.
- Run the following command:
This will return a JSON response. Look for the “JoinedMethod” and “JoinedTimestamp” keys. The “JoinedTimestamp” gives you the creation date.
Method B – AWS Support:
You can always contact AWS Support if you can’t determine the creation date using the above methods. They can provide you with the exact creation date of your account.
Commonly Asked Questions
Q: I have multiple AWS accounts under an organization. How do I check individual account creation dates?
A: If you have set up an AWS organization with multiple linked accounts, you can still follow the above-mentioned CLI command. Just replace “YOUR_ACCOUNT_ID” with the specific account ID you want to check.
Q: Does deleting resources change the account creation date?
A: No, deleting resources or services does not impact or change the account’s creation date. That date remains static regardless of the account’s content or service changes.
Conclusion
Understanding how to check AWS account creation date can be beneficial for various reasons, from billing to auditing. With the outlined steps and the keyword in mind – aws check account creation date – you should be well-equipped to find this information swiftly. Whether you’re a seasoned AWS user or new to the platform, having this knowledge in your back pocket is always good.
See our Recent Blog: what is AWS billing and cost management?