# Downloading Your AWS Cost Explorer History

Before we officially add your AWS account to Pump, we recommend downloading your AWS Cost Explorer billing history. This is important because when you join a new AWS billing organization, your Cost Explorer data resets.

Pump will fully visualize and retain your historical cost data, but AWS itself does not preserve this after joining a new billing org. Downloading your history now ensures you keep access to your past billing information.

**Steps to Download Your AWS Cost Explorer History (takes about 2 minutes):**

1. Log in to your AWS Console and navigate to Billing and Cost Management (you can search for it in the console search bar).
2. In the left-hand menu, scroll near the bottom and select Cost Management Preferences.
3. At the top of this page, click the Cost Explorer tab (second tab from the left).
4. Check the box for Enable 38 months of past cost and usage data.
5. Click Save at the bottom right, then confirm by clicking Save again in the popup.
6. Next, in the left-hand menu, click Cost Explorer (just below Cost Usage Analysis).
7. In the top right of the Cost Explorer page, open the Date Range selector.
8. Click More at the bottom right of the date range popup.
9. Select 3 years of data.
10. Click Download CSV (button located below the graph on the right).


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://help.pump.co/aws-joining-pump/downloading-your-aws-cost-explorer-history.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.