Usage Guide

This guide covers the tools, resources, and prompt templates provided by the AWS MCP Server.

For installation and setup, see the README.

Table of Contents

• Core Tools
• Context Resources
• Prompt Templates
• Best Practices

Core Tools

The server provides two tools that give Claude access to the full AWS CLI.

aws_cli_help

Purpose: Get documentation for any AWS service or command.

Parameters:

• service (required): AWS service name (e.g., "s3", "ec2", "lambda")
• command (optional): Specific command within the service (e.g., "ls", "describe-instances")

Examples:

aws_cli_help(service="s3")              # General S3 help
aws_cli_help(service="s3", command="cp") # Help for s3 cp command
aws_cli_help(service="ec2", command="describe-instances")

Use this tool first to learn command syntax before executing.

aws_cli_pipeline

Purpose: Execute AWS CLI commands with optional Unix pipes.

Parameters:

• command (required): The AWS CLI command (must start with aws)
• timeout (optional): Command timeout in seconds (default: 300)

Examples:

# Simple command
aws s3 ls

# With output filtering
aws ec2 describe-instances | jq '.Reservations[].Instances[].InstanceId'

# Chain multiple filters
aws logs describe-log-groups | grep "production" | head -10

# Complex queries
aws ec2 describe-instances --query 'Reservations[].Instances[?State.Name==`running`].[InstanceId,Tags[?Key==`Name`].Value]' --output table

Context Resources

Resources provide Claude with read-only access to your AWS configuration and environment.

Resource	URI	Description
Profiles	aws://config/profiles	Available AWS profiles from ~/.aws/config
Regions	aws://config/regions	All AWS regions with descriptions
Region Details	aws://config/regions/{region}	AZs and services for a specific region
Environment	aws://config/environment	Current profile, region, credential status
Account	aws://config/account	Account ID and alias

Example Usage:

Ask Claude: "Check aws://config/environment to see which region I'm connected to"

Prompt Templates

Pre-defined prompts help generate AWS commands following best practices.

Core Operations

Prompt	Purpose	Parameters
create_resource	Generate creation commands with security best practices	resource_type, resource_name
resource_inventory	List resources with metadata	service, region (default: all)
resource_cleanup	Find unused resources	service, criteria (default: unused)
troubleshoot_service	Diagnose resource issues	service, resource_id

Security & Compliance

Prompt	Purpose	Parameters
security_audit	Audit service for security risks	service
security_posture_assessment	Account-wide security check	—
iam_policy_generator	Create least-privilege policies	service, actions, resource_pattern
compliance_check	Check compliance standards	compliance_standard, service

Cost & Performance

Prompt	Purpose	Parameters
cost_optimization	Find cost savings	service
performance_tuning	Analyze and suggest tuning	service, resource_id

Infrastructure

Prompt	Purpose	Parameters
serverless_deployment	Deploy Lambda/API Gateway	application_name, runtime
container_orchestration	Setup ECS/EKS	cluster_name, service_type
vpc_network_design	Design secure VPC	vpc_name, cidr_block
service_monitoring	Setup CloudWatch alarms	service, metric_type
disaster_recovery	Setup backups and DR	service, recovery_point_objective

Best Practices

1. Check Help First: Ask Claude to use aws_cli_help before running unfamiliar commands
2. Verify Context: Use aws://config/environment to confirm profile and region
3. Dry Runs: For destructive operations, ask Claude to use --dry-run when supported
4. Least Privilege: Ensure your AWS credentials have only necessary permissions
5. Review Commands: Ask Claude to show the command before executing sensitive operations