---
title: 'Getting Started'
description: 'Get started with ParkMyAWS in under 5 minutes. Connect your AWS account, discover resources, and create your first parking schedule.'
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---

# Getting Started

Get up and running with ParkMyAWS in under 5 minutes. This guide walks you through account setup, connecting AWS, and creating your first schedule.

## Overview

ParkMyAWS automates the scheduling of AWS resources — EC2 instances and RDS databases — so they stop running when nobody needs them and start again before the workday begins. Most non-production environments sit idle nights, weekends, and holidays. Parking them during that downtime can cut those costs by up to 65%.

## 1. Create an Account

Sign up with your email address or use GitHub single sign-on. During onboarding you'll create an organisation — this is the container for your AWS accounts, schedules, and team members.

> **No credit card required.** Every account gets a 14-day free trial with full access to all features.
> {.callout .callout-tip}

## 2. Connect Your AWS Account

ParkMyAWS uses an IAM Cross-Account Role to securely access your AWS resources. There are two ways to set this up:

### Option A: CloudFormation (recommended)

Click the "Launch Stack" button in the app. This opens the AWS CloudFormation console with a pre-configured template that creates the IAM role with the exact permissions needed. Review and confirm — the role is created automatically.

### Option B: Manual IAM Role

Create an IAM role manually in the AWS console using the trust policy and permission policy we provide. Copy the Role ARN back into ParkMyAWS. See the [IAM Permissions documentation](/docs/iam-policy) for the full policy breakdown.

## 3. Resource Discovery

Once your AWS account is connected, ParkMyAWS automatically discovers your EC2 instances and RDS databases across all enabled regions. Discovery typically completes within a few minutes depending on the number of resources and regions.

- Resources appear on the Resources page as they're found
- Each resource shows its current state, type, region, and tags
- Discovery runs periodically to pick up new resources

## 4. Create Your First Schedule

Schedules define when your resources should be stopped and started. Head to the Schedules page and click "Create Schedule."

- Start with a template — **Business Hours** (stop at 6 PM, start at 8 AM weekdays) is the most popular
- Set your timezone so schedules execute at the right local time
- Assign resources to the schedule from the schedule detail page

For a deeper dive into schedule configuration, see the [Scheduling guide](/docs/scheduling).

## 5. Monitor Savings

The Dashboard shows a real-time overview of your parked resources and estimated savings. As your schedules run, you'll see:

- Total estimated savings across all scheduled resources
- Number of resources currently parked vs. running
- Recent schedule execution history
- Savings trends over time on the Analytics page