# FOCUS (FinOps Open Cost and Usage Specification)

> An open standard schema for billing data, so cost from clouds, SaaS, and other providers reads the same way.

Source: https://levelfour.ai/glossary/focus-specification

Updated: 2026-10-23

FOCUS, the FinOps Open Cost and Usage Specification, is an open standard for billing data. It defines one schema, with common column names and meanings aligned to the FinOps Framework, so teams can combine and analyze cost and usage exports from different providers without mapping each one by hand. FOCUS is a Joint Development Foundation project under the Linux Foundation, supported by the FinOps Foundation. Version 1.4, ratified in June 2026, includes datasets for cost and usage, billing periods, contract commitments, and invoice details. Major clouds publish FOCUS exports: AWS (FOCUS 1.2, generally available), with Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud in preview, as do data and SaaS platforms such as Snowflake, Databricks, and MongoDB. Model providers such as OpenAI and Anthropic did not publish FOCUS exports as of October 2026, and the specification plans columns for model identity and token consumption in version 1.5. LevelFour reads each provider's billing data and converts it into one currency and one view.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why does FOCUS matter for FinOps teams?

Each provider names and structures its billing columns its own way. FOCUS gives them one set of columns, so allocation, showback, forecasting, and commitment analysis work across providers without a custom mapping for each.

### Does FOCUS cover AI spend?

Partly. AI services billed through a cloud, such as Amazon Bedrock, appear in that cloud's FOCUS export. Model providers such as OpenAI and Anthropic did not publish FOCUS data as of October 2026, and the specification plans columns for model identity and tokens in version 1.5.

## Related terms

- [FinOps Framework](https://levelfour.ai/glossary/finops-framework.md)
- [Amortized cost](https://levelfour.ai/glossary/amortized-cost.md)
- [FinOps](https://levelfour.ai/glossary/finops.md)

## About LevelFour

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