The Problem: Lost in the AWS Maze Link to heading

Picture this: you deployed something called “timetectonic” across multiple AWS accounts and regions months ago. The domain timetectonic.cageyv.dev still works perfectly, pointing to CloudFront, but when you log into the AWS Console to find the deployment… nothing. No CloudFront distributions in sight. No obvious traces of where this thing actually lives.

Sound familiar? Welcome to the modern multi-account, multi-region AWS reality where resources can get lost in the vastness of your cloud infrastructure.

Traditional Searching: The Needle in a Haystack Approach Link to heading

My first instinct was the usual approach: click around the AWS Console. Check CloudFront in different regions. Try different accounts. Look for Load Balancers, EC2 instances, anything that might be serving this domain.

After 30 minutes of fruitless clicking, I realized I needed a better approach. This is exactly the problem AWS Resource Explorer was designed to solve.

Enter AWS Resource Explorer Link to heading

AWS Resource Explorer is one of those services that doesn’t get enough attention, but when you need it, you really need it. It’s essentially a searchable index of all your AWS resources across accounts and regions.

The setup is straightforward:

  1. Enable Resource Explorer in your management account
  2. Choose an aggregator region (where all the search data will be collected)
  3. Wait for the initial scan (can take 20 minutes to 24 hours depending on your infrastructure size)

In my case, I enabled it and waited about 20 minutes for the scan to complete.

Once Resource Explorer finished scanning, I used a simple search strategy: timetectonic.cageyv.dev as the filter.

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And there it was – the answer that had eluded 30 minutes of manual searching appeared instantly: AWS Amplify.

The deployment was sitting in AWS Amplify, a service I hadn’t even considered when manually searching through CloudFront distributions. Amplify was handling both the hosting and the CloudFront distribution behind the scenes.

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Why AWS Resource Explorer Is Essential Link to heading

Multi-Account Support Link to heading

Resource Explorer works seamlessly across your entire AWS Organization. No need to log into each account separately – one search covers everything.

Cross-Region Discovery Link to heading

Resources deployed in any region appear in your search results. Perfect for those “where did I put that thing?” moments.

You can search by:

  • Resource names and tags
  • Resource types
  • Custom attributes
  • ARNs and IDs
  • Associated metadata like domain names

Real-Time Updates Link to heading

Once enabled, Resource Explorer continuously indexes new resources, so your search results stay current.

Cost Efficiency Link to heading

Instead of maintaining custom resource inventories or scripts, AWS Resource Explorer is offered at no additional charge. There are no set-up fees or upfront commitments. If enabled, some features in the Resource Explorer console are dependent on other AWS services, such as AWS Config, which are billed separately.

Advanced Search Capabilities Link to heading

Resource Explorer supports sophisticated query syntax:

  • Wildcard searches: timetectonic* to find all resources with names starting with “timetectonic”
  • Resource type filtering: resourcetype:amplify:app to find only Amplify apps
  • Tag-based searches: tag:Environment=production
  • Combined filters: Multiple criteria can be combined for precise searches

The Bigger Picture Link to heading

This experience reminded me why tools like Resource Explorer are crucial in modern cloud environments. We’re operating at scales where manual discovery simply doesn’t work anymore.

The shift from “click around the console” to “search across everything” represents a fundamental change in how we manage cloud infrastructure. It’s similar to the evolution from browsing directory structures to using search engines – once you have it, you can’t imagine going back.

Conclusion Link to heading

AWS Resource Explorer transformed what could have been hours of manual searching into a 2-minute discovery process. In a world where we’re deploying across multiple accounts, regions, and services, having a unified search capability isn’t just convenient – it’s essential.

The next time you’re staring at the AWS Console wondering “where the hell is that resource?”, remember: there’s a better way than clicking around. Enable Resource Explorer, wait for the scan, and search your way to the answer.

Time saved: approximately 2 hours of manual searching. Cost: nothing. Peace of mind: priceless.