FAQ
Datadog cost and log filtering questions, answered
Direct answers for teams evaluating pre-ingestion filtering and routing strategies.
Why is Datadog so expensive?
Datadog log billing is mostly ingestion-driven. If you forward every event, low-value traffic like repetitive 200 responses increases costs quickly.
Can I drop logs before Datadog?
Yes. LogTrim applies filtering rules before ingestion so you only send high-signal logs to Datadog.
What logs are safe to drop?
Most teams safely drop repetitive success logs, health checks, and known noise once they confirm those events are not used in alerts or incident workflows.
How much can I save?
Savings depend on your noise ratio. Teams that remove low-signal traffic commonly reduce Datadog ingestion spend by 30-60%. LogTrim has even seen teams reduce their Datadog bill by more than 70%.
Is log filtering safe?
Filtering is safe when rules are explicit, tested, and paired with low-cost archival. LogTrim supports dual routing so full logs can still be retained in S3.
Need implementation details?
Read practical guides for filtering, sampling, and routing before Datadog ingestion.