Adding Tags with aws ec2 create-tags

When you want to label a resource, use aws ec2 create-tags. It attaches one or more tags.

The syntax is aws ec2 create-tags --resources id --tags Key=Name,Value=value. Several resources and several tags can be given at once.

Running aws ec2 create-tags --resources i-0123456789abcdef0 --tags Key=Name,Value=web-server names that instance web-server, which is then what the console displays.

A common stumble is inconsistent tag keys across a team — env, Env and Environment all meaning the same thing, which breaks cost reports.

In real work, organisations agree a tagging convention up front and enforce it, because retrofitting one is painful.