AWS MCP Server
Give Claude access to all 200+ AWS services through the AWS CLI.
Demo
What It Does
This MCP server lets Claude run AWS CLI commands on your behalf. Instead of wrapping each AWS API individually, it wraps the CLI itself—giving Claude complete AWS access through just two tools:
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
aws_cli_help | Get documentation for any AWS command |
aws_cli_pipeline | Execute AWS CLI commands with optional pipes (jq, grep, etc.) |
Claude learns commands on-demand using --help, then executes them. Your IAM policy controls what it can actually do.
flowchart LR
Claude[Claude] -->|MCP| Server[AWS MCP Server]
Server --> CLI[AWS CLI]
CLI --> AWS[AWS Cloud]
IAM[Your IAM Policy] -.->|controls| AWS
Quick Start
Prerequisites
- AWS CLI installed
- AWS credentials configured (see AWS Credentials)
- uv installed (for
uvx)
Claude Code
Add to your MCP settings (Cmd+Shift+P → "Claude: Open MCP Config"):
{
"mcpServers": {
"aws": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["aws-mcp"]
}
}
}
Claude Desktop
Add to your Claude Desktop config file:
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"aws": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["aws-mcp"]
}
}
}
Docker (More Secure)
Docker provides stronger isolation by running commands in a container:
{
"mcpServers": {
"aws": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-v",
"~/.aws:/home/appuser/.aws:ro",
"ghcr.io/alexei-led/aws-mcp-server:latest"
]
}
}
}
Note: Replace
~/.awswith the full path on Windows (e.g.,C:\Users\YOU\.aws).
AWS Credentials
The server uses the standard AWS credential chain. Your credentials are discovered automatically from:
- Environment variables:
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID,AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY - Credentials file:
~/.aws/credentials - Config file:
~/.aws/config(for profiles and region) - IAM role: When running on EC2, ECS, or Lambda
To use a specific profile:
{
"mcpServers": {
"aws": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["aws-mcp"],
"env": {
"AWS_PROFILE": "my-profile"
}
}
}
}
Configuration
AWS Settings
| Environment Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
AWS_PROFILE | AWS profile to use | default |
AWS_REGION | AWS region (also accepts AWS_DEFAULT_REGION) | us-east-1 |
AWS_CONFIG_FILE | Custom path to AWS config file | ~/.aws/config |
AWS_SHARED_CREDENTIALS_FILE | Custom path to credentials file | ~/.aws/credentials |
Server Settings
| Environment Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
AWS_MCP_TIMEOUT | Command execution timeout in seconds | 300 |
AWS_MCP_MAX_OUTPUT | Maximum output size in characters | 100000 |
AWS_MCP_TRANSPORT | Transport protocol (stdio or sse) | stdio |
AWS_MCP_SANDBOX | Sandbox mode (auto, disabled, required) | auto |
AWS_MCP_SANDBOX_CREDENTIALS | Credential passing (env, aws_config, both) | both |
Security
Your IAM policy is your security boundary. This server executes whatever AWS commands Claude requests—IAM controls what actually succeeds.
Best practices:
- Use a least-privilege IAM role (only permissions Claude needs)
- Never use root credentials
- Consider Docker for additional host isolation
For detailed security architecture, see Security Documentation.
Documentation
- Usage Guide — Tools, resources, and prompt templates
- Security Architecture — IAM + Sandbox + Docker model
- Development Guide — Contributing and testing
License
MIT License — see LICENSE for details.