---
title: "Pools"
canonical: "https://ai-docs.certero.com/space/CXCM/108298717/Pools"
format: markdown
---
# Overview

Cost pools may reflect your business units, cost centers, projects, etc., and are the means by which you categorise costs to reflect internal accounting requirements.

Pools are viewed and managed in the Cost Pools screen, accessed by the main menu item of the same name.

There is a permanent top-level pool with that corresponds to the Space. Below that is a customizable pool hierarchy that you can change to suit your cost reporting requirements. There will be a default pool for each data source, and these can be deleted or changed as required.

In the pool hierarchy, costs in a pool roll up to the parent pool, all the way up to the top-level Space pool.

# Pool Properties

On the Cost Pools screen you will see that pools may have a Limit, Current Spend, and Forecast, which are explained in the [Cost Pools](https://certero.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CXCM/pages/108298819) section. 

Pools have an owner. Owners receive pool-level [email notifications](https://certero.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CXCM/pages/108298614) e.g. for breaches of pool limits and forecasts.

Clicking on a pool name allows you to manage the properties in the **General **tab:

- Pool name
- Limit
- Owner

> ℹ️ A pool limit must equal or exceed the sum of the limits of any sub-pools.

In the pool properties **Constraints **tab, you can manage resource constraints. These are explained in the [Resource Constraints](https://certero.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CXCM/pages/108299089) section.

The pool properties **Assignment Rules** tab shows [assignment rules](https://certero.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CXCM/pages/108298740) that target the pool.

# Creating a Pool

On the Cost Pools screen, clicking the plus icon to the right of a pool name allows you to create a new sub-pool.

You will configure:

- Name (providing a meaningful name)
- Type (which simply selects an icon for the pool)
- Owner
- Limit

> ℹ️ The Limit field must be populated, using a zero if no limit is required.
> ℹ️ 
> ℹ️ Ticking “Extend parent pools limits” will automatically increase parent pool limits, remembering that a pool limit must equal or exceed the sum of the limits of any sub-pools.

> ℹ️ Pool-based cost reporting is explained in the [Cost Pools](https://certero.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CXCM/pages/108298819) section.