AWS Trusted Advisor Adds Check for Unused NAT Gateways

Amazon Web Services has introduced a new feature in AWS Trusted Advisor that identifies unused NAT Gateways, helping customers optimize networking costs, powered by AWS Compute Optimizer. The check analyzes NAT Gateway usage patterns and flags gateways that show no data processing activity over a defined period, enabling administrators to review and potentially remove unnecessary resources. The tool analyzes additional CloudWatch metrics over a 32-day lookback period to verify NAT Gateways associated with route tables.

NAT Gateways are commonly used in Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) environments to allow instances in private subnets to access the internet while remaining inaccessible from external networks. However, idle or misconfigured gateways can generate ongoing hourly charges even when not actively handling traffic. By adding this check to Trusted Advisor, AWS provides customers with actionable insights directly within the console, supporting FinOps initiatives and operational efficiency. For cloud operations teams, the enhancement reinforces the role of automated recommendations in maintaining cost-effective, well-governed network architectures across growing AWS environments. The feature is available in all AWS regions where AWS Trust Advisor is supported.

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Posted by AWS Editors on 02/24/2026