Custom Detections allow you to define your own detection templates for opportunities not covered by PointFive's automatic detection engine. Manual opportunities let you create individual opportunities based on these custom detections and associate them with specific resources.
This guide covers how to create and manage custom detections, and how to create manual opportunities from your Inventory.
Custom Detections
What are custom detections?
Custom detections are user-defined templates that describe how a type of opportunity is identified, remediated, and measured. They are the foundation for manual opportunities - every manual opportunity must be based on a custom detection.
Notice: Only Admins can create and manage custom detections.
Creating a custom detection
There are two ways to create a custom detection:
Option 1: From the Detections page
Navigate to Settings → Detections
Click + Custom Detection
Complete the configuration form (see fields below)
Click Create
A confirmation modal appears with options to continue to Inventory or skip for now (returns to Detections page)
Option 2: While creating a manual opportunity
If you're creating a manual opportunity and don't have a relevant custom detection yet, you can create one inline:
Navigate to a resource page in Inventory
Click + Opportunity
Select Create a new detection
You'll be redirected to the custom detection configuration page
Complete the configuration and click Create
Return to the resource to create your manual opportunity or skip for now (returns to Detections page)
Notice: Member users do not have the option to create a new custom detection from this flow. Members can only create manual opportunities based on existing custom detections.
Custom detection configuration
When creating a custom detection, you'll define the following fields:
Field | Description | Required |
Name | A unique name for this detection. | Yes |
Description | A description of what this detection identifies | Yes |
Cloud Provider | The cloud provider this detection applies to (select from AWS, GCP, or Azure) | Yes |
Service | The specific service this detection applies to | Yes |
Detection Category | The category this detection belongs to (closed list) | Yes |
Diagnosis | Explanation of what the opportunity identifies and why it matters | Yes |
Remediation Workflow | Guidance on how to remediate opportunities of this type (free text - from a single word to multiple paragraphs) | Yes |
Potential Savings | Default savings value - a percentage of resource cost (default 100%) | Yes |
Risk | The risk level associated with remediation | Yes |
Effort | The effort required to remediate | Yes |
These values serve as defaults when creating manual opportunities. Users can override Potential Savings, Risk, Effort, and Remediation Workflow per opportunity.
Detections page
The Detections table includes two columns to help distinguish custom detections from PointFive detections:
Column | Description |
Owner | Indicates whether the detection is owned by PointFive or by the user who created it (for custom detections) |
Mode | Indicates whether the detection runs Automatically (continuously scanning for opportunities) or Manually (serves as a template for manual opportunities) |
Additionally, detections with 0 opportunities and 0 potential savings are now visible in the table.
You can:
Disable a custom detection - prevents new manual opportunities from being created and archives all existing opportunities associated with this detection.
Enable a custom detection - allows new manual opportunities to be created and restores archived opportunities to their previous status.
Detection page
The individual detection page for custom detections includes:
An in-page indication of the detection's Owner and Mode.
Action to Edit the detection
Manual Opportunities
What are manual opportunities?
Manual opportunities are user-created opportunities based on custom detections. They allow you to track savings work that falls outside PointFive's automatic detection catalog - whether you've already completed remediation work and want it reflected in your reports, identified an opportunity through your own analysis, or want to pursue an alternative remediation path for an existing PointFive opportunity (e.g., snooze a "Delete" recommendation and track a "Downsize" approach instead).
Manual opportunities:
Appear in the Opportunities table alongside PointFive-detected opportunities
Contribute to all savings calculations and summaries
Support the full opportunity lifecycle (status changes, assignments, actions)
Manual opportunities can be created for any resource that appears in Inventory, including deleted resources.
Notice: Manual opportunities can only be created for custom detections, not for PointFive detections.
Creating a manual opportunity
Navigate to Inventory and open the resource page you want to create an opportunity for
Click + Opportunity
Select Create from existing detection and choose a custom detection from the list.
Admins: If no relevant custom detection exists, select Create a new detection to configure one first
Members: You can only select from existing custom detections
Review and override the default values as needed (see fields below)
Click Create
You'll be redirected to the new opportunity page.
Manual opportunity fields
When creating a manual opportunity, the following fields are available:
Field | Description | Required | Editable |
Resource | Automatically linked to the resource you're creating from (read-only) | Yes | No |
Detection | Select an existing custom detection to base this opportunity on | Yes | No |
Diagnosis | Explanation of what this specific opportunity identifies | Yes | No |
Remediation Workflow | Guidance on how to remediate | Yes | Yes |
Potential Savings | Percentage of resource cost OR fixed amount | Yes | Yes |
Risk | Risk level associated with remediation | Yes | Yes |
Effort | Effort required to remediate | Yes | Yes |
Status | Default: 'Open' (can be changed to any status) | Yes | N/A |
Assignee | User responsible for this opportunity | No | N/A |
Notice: If you're documenting savings work that's already completed, you can set the status to Resolved and select the exact resolution date (including past dates) to ensure accurate reporting in savings statistics.
Managing manual opportunities
Once created, manual opportunities can be managed from the opportunity page. Available actions include:
Update status
Assign or reassign users
Edit opportunity details (via the more actions menu) - override savings, risk, effort, remediation workflow
Notice: Manual opportunities do not have a "Remediate" button. Since remediation is user-driven, the guidance is captured in the remediation workflow field and users manage the lifecycle through status updates.
Opportunities page
The Opportunities table includes:
A dedicated state value and icon: Manual Opportunity (alongside Detected and No Longer Detected)
A filter option to view only manual opportunities.