Signing In To AWS
AWSOfficialPublished by AWS
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- Cloud and DevOps
- Apache-2.0
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AutoGineer summary
Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
This skill assists developers in authenticating their local environment with AWS using the aws login command. It ensures the AWS CLI is correctly installed and updated, checks current credential status, and facilitates the secure acquisition of short-term, auto-rotating credentials. The skill follows a structured flow of verifying prerequisites, confirming user intent, and executing the authentication process, while providing guidance on troubleshooting common issues like expired sessions or permission errors.
What it does
- Verifies the installed AWS CLI version meets the minimum requirement of 2.32.0.
- Checks current AWS identity status using sts get-caller-identity.
- Executes aws login to provide secure, short-term, auto-rotating credentials.
- Provides troubleshooting steps for common authentication failures.
- Offers guidance on using named profiles to avoid overwriting existing configurations.
- Advises on the security risks of long-term access keys compared to short-term credentials.
When to use it
- When a developer needs to authenticate to AWS for local development tasks.
- When an AWS operation fails due to missing or expired credentials.
- When a user asks for help setting up or configuring AWS access.
- When encountering AccessDeniedException errors related to missing credentials.
Advantages
- Promotes the use of secure, short-term, auto-rotating credentials.
- Reduces the risk associated with long-term access keys stored on disk.
- Automates the verification of CLI prerequisites before attempting login.
- Provides a clear, guided workflow for developers to resolve authentication issues.
Usage examples
- “I am getting an AccessDeniedException when running AWS commands.”
- The agent checks the current CLI version and credential status, then offers to run aws login to refresh the session.
- “How do I set up AWS for local development?”
- The agent explains the benefits of aws login, verifies the CLI version, and asks for permission to initiate the authentication process.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/aws/signing-in-to-aws/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip signing-in-to-aws.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by AWS
Sign In — Get CLI/SDK Credentials
Help developers get AWS credentials for local development using aws login. This provides short-term, auto-rotating credentials that refresh every 15 minutes and remain valid for up to 12 hours.
Important:
You MUST run
aws loginandaws --versionin the user's local shell — NOT via MCP/API tools.You MUST ask the user for confirmation before running
aws login. Do not tell the user to run the command themselves — ask if YOU should run it (e.g., "Ready for me to runaws login?" or "Shall I proceed withaws login?"). Wait for their response before proceeding.
Prerequisites
The aws login command requires AWS CLI version 2.32.0 or later.
Check the installed version:
aws --versionIf the CLI is not installed or is below 2.32.0, inform the user and ask if they'd like to install/update (link them to the AWS CLI installation guide), or if they'd prefer to continue without this skill's guidance. If they choose to continue without upgrading, respond to their original request as you normally would without this skill.
Flow
Lead with the recommendation
In your first response, always tell the user that aws login is the fix — explain that it provides short-term, auto-rotating credentials and that it requires AWS CLI 2.32.0 or later. Do not stop at "let me check your CLI version" — name the remediation up front so the user knows where this is going, then describe the precondition checks you'll run before invoking it.
Precondition checks (run silently before asking confirmation)
Run these via the local shell to inform your plan. Report what you find, but do not gate the recommendation on user-supplied output:
aws --version— confirm the CLI is 2.32.0 or later. If not installed or too old, point the user to the AWS CLI installation guide and stop.aws sts get-caller-identity— check current credentials.Succeeds: Show the user their Account and Arn. Ask whether to keep these or set up different credentials. If they want to switch, recommend
aws login --profile <name>so the existing default isn't overwritten.Fails (missing or expired): proceed with
aws loginon the default profile.
(Only if Step 2 succeeded and the user wants different credentials)
aws configure list— ifaccess_keystarts withAKIA, explain that long-term access keys are less secure (never expire, persist on disk as secrets, grant indefinite access if leaked) and thataws loginprovides short-term credentials that auto-rotate every 15 minutes, expire automatically, and require no manual rotation.
Confirm and run aws login
Once preconditions are clear, ask the user for confirmation specifically for the aws login invocation — and only there. Do not tell the user to run the command themselves; ask if you should run it (e.g., "Ready for me to run aws login?" or "Shall I proceed with aws login --profile staging?"). Wait for their response, then run aws login (or aws login --profile <name>).
Verify
After aws login completes, run aws sts get-caller-identity (with --profile if used) to confirm success. If a named profile was used, remind the user to pass --profile or set AWS_PROFILE.
Handling Errors
"command not found" or version too old
The CLI is not installed or below 2.32.0. Direct the user to install or update: AWS CLI installation guide.
Browser doesn't open
Suggest aws login --remote which provides a URL and code for cross-device authentication (e.g., when using a remote server without a browser).
Permission error after login
The IAM identity needs the SignInLocalDevelopmentAccess managed policy attached (to the user, role, or group). Root users do not need it. Tell the user to ask their administrator to add it, or attach it themselves if they have IAM permissions.
GovCloud or China regions
aws login is not available in AWS GovCloud (US) or AWS China regions. Do not mention this exception proactively — only relevant if the user explicitly states they are in one of these partitions.
Users With Existing aws sso login Workflows
If the user mentions aws sso login or has an existing SSO configuration, do NOT redirect them to aws login. These are different commands for different situations:
aws sso loginis for users whose organization has configured AWS IAM Identity Center (SSO). They have profiles in~/.aws/configpointing at an SSO start URL. Respect their established workflow.If their
aws sso loginis failing, help troubleshoot within their context: expired SSO session, revoked authorization, cached token issues (~/.aws/sso/cache/), or Identity Center configuration changes.
Fallback to aws configure
Do NOT mention aws configure in your initial response or include it as a table row alongside aws login. Only offer it as an alternative if:
The user explicitly declines
aws loginor asks for alternativesThe user states they are in GovCloud or China regions (where
aws loginis unavailable)
When offering it, explain that long-term access keys are less secure: they persist on disk as plaintext, never expire automatically, and grant indefinite access if leaked.
When NOT to Use This Skill
User is setting up CI/CD credentials — they need IAM roles or OIDC federation, not
aws login
Key Points
Do not front-load troubleshooting — keep the initial response simple and address errors only if they occur
aws loginworks with root users, IAM users and federation with IAM
Additional Resources
Files
- ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer899 B
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer9.9 KiB
- NOTICELicence file added by AutoGineer67 B
- SKILL.md6.7 KiB
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Requirements and compatibility
Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta
“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.
Security
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Attribution and licence
- Published by
- AWS
- Publisher
- AWS (Official)
- Source
- aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws · skills/core-skills/signing-in-to-aws · commit 0a218f8
- Licence
- Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
- LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
- NOTICE (added by AutoGineer from NOTICE)
- ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
- Synced
- Also distributed in
- aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws
AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by AWS.
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