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AWS Lambda

AWS LabsOfficialPublished by AWS Labs

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Cloud and DevOps
  • Apache-2.0
  • Low risk

From the author

Design, build, deploy, test, and debug serverless applications with AWS Lambda. Triggers on phrases like: Lambda function, event source, serverless application, API Gateway, EventBridge, Step Functions, serverless API, event-driven architecture, Lambda trigger. For deploying non-serverless apps to AWS, use deploy-on-aws plugin instead.
— the description by AWS Labs

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides comprehensive support for developing serverless applications on AWS. It integrates with the AWS Serverless MCP Server to assist with project initialization, infrastructure-as-code (IaC) generation, deployment, and debugging. It covers event-driven architectures, web application deployment via Lambda Web Adapter, and performance optimization, while enforcing best practices for security, idempotency, and observability.

What it does

  • Initializes and builds serverless projects using SAM CLI or CDK.
  • Configures event source mappings for services like DynamoDB, SQS, and Kinesis.
  • Deploys full-stack web applications using the Lambda Web Adapter.
  • Implements event-driven architectures with EventBridge and schema management.
  • Provides troubleshooting guidance for common deployment and runtime errors.
  • Enforces security best practices including least-privilege IAM and secret management.

When to use it

  • When starting a new serverless project on AWS.
  • When configuring event-driven triggers for Lambda functions.
  • When deploying web APIs or full-stack applications to AWS Lambda.
  • When optimizing Lambda performance, cost, or cold-start times.
  • When debugging deployment failures or runtime errors in serverless stacks.

Advantages

  • Automated validation of IaC templates via SAM CLI integration.
  • Built-in support for AWS Lambda Powertools for logging and idempotency.
  • Clear guidance on choosing between choreography and orchestration patterns.
  • Comprehensive troubleshooting and limit references for rapid debugging.
  • Standardized project setup using industry-recognized frameworks.

Usage examples

“Create a new serverless API project using TypeScript and CDK.”
The agent will initialize a new project structure, generate the necessary CDK constructs for an API Gateway and Lambda function, and set up the project configuration.
“How do I configure my Lambda to process messages from an SQS queue?”
The agent will provide the configuration steps for an Event Source Mapping, including best practices for batch sizes and partial failure handling.
“My Lambda function is failing with a timeout error, how can I debug it?”
The agent will guide you through checking CloudWatch logs, reviewing memory settings, and potentially using X-Ray tracing to identify the bottleneck.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/awslabs/aws-lambda/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip aws-lambda.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by AWS Labs

AWS Lambda Serverless Development

Design, build, deploy, and debug serverless applications with AWS serverless services. This skill provides access to serverless development guidance through the AWS Serverless MCP Server, helping you to build production-ready serverless applications with best practices built-in.

Use SAM CLI for project initialization and deployment, Lambda Web Adapter for web applications, or Event Source Mappings for event-driven architectures. AWS handles infrastructure provisioning, scaling, and monitoring automatically.

Key capabilities:

  • SAM CLI Integration: Initialize, build, deploy, and test serverless applications

  • Web Application Deployment: Deploy full-stack applications with Lambda Web Adapter

  • Event Source Mappings: Configure Lambda triggers for DynamoDB, Kinesis, SQS, Kafka

  • Lambda durable functions: Resilient multi-step applications with checkpointing — see the durable-functions skill for guidance

  • Lambda Managed Instances: Run Lambda on dedicated EC2 instances with managed lifecycle — see the managed-instances skill for evaluation, configuration, and migration guidance

  • Schema Management: Type-safe EventBridge integration with schema registry

  • Observability: CloudWatch logs, metrics, and X-Ray tracing

  • Performance Optimization: Right-sizing, cost optimization, and troubleshooting

When to Load Reference Files

Load the appropriate reference file based on what the user is working on:

  • Getting started, what to build, project type decision, or working with existing projects -> see references/getting-started.md

  • SAM, CDK, deployment, IaC templates, CDK constructs, or CI/CD pipelines -> see the aws-serverless-deployment skill (separate skill in this plugin)

  • Web app deployment, Lambda Web Adapter, API endpoints, CORS, authentication, custom domains, or sam local start-api -> see references/web-app-deployment.md

  • Event sources, DynamoDB Streams, Kinesis, SQS, Kafka, S3 notifications, or SNS -> see references/event-sources.md

  • EventBridge, event bus, event patterns, event design, Pipes, or schema registry -> see references/event-driven-architecture.md

  • Durable functions, checkpointing, replay model, saga pattern, or long-running Lambda workflows -> see the durable-functions skill (separate skill in this plugin with full SDK reference, testing, and deployment guides)

  • Lambda Managed Instances, LMI, capacity providers, multi-concurrency, EC2-backed Lambda, cold start elimination, or Lambda cost optimization with Reserved Instances -> see the managed-instances skill (separate skill in this plugin for evaluation, configuration, and migration)

  • Orchestration, workflows, or Durable Functions vs Step Functions -> see references/orchestration-and-workflows.md

  • Step Functions, ASL, state machines, JSONata, Distributed Map, SDK integrations, TestState API, mocking service integrations, or state machine unit tests -> see the aws-step-functions skill for comprehensive guidance

  • Observability, logging, tracing, metrics, alarms, or dashboards -> see references/observability.md

  • Optimization, cold starts, memory tuning, cost, or streaming -> see references/optimization.md

  • Powertools, idempotency, feature flags, parameters, parser, batch processing, or data masking -> see references/powertools.md

  • Troubleshooting, errors, debugging, or deployment failures -> see references/troubleshooting.md

Best Practices

Project Setup
  • Do: Use sam_init or cdk init with an appropriate template for your use case

  • Do: Set global defaults for timeout, memory, runtime, and tracing (Globals in SAM, construct props in CDK)

  • Do: Use AWS Lambda Powertools for structured logging, tracing, metrics (EMF), idempotency, and batch processing — available for Python, TypeScript, Java, and .NET

  • Don't: Copy-paste templates from the internet without understanding the resource configuration

  • Don't: Use the same memory and timeout values for all functions regardless of workload

Security
  • Do: Follow least-privilege IAM policies scoped to specific resources and actions

  • Do: Use secure_esm_* tools to generate correct IAM policies for event source mappings

  • Do: Store secrets in AWS Secrets Manager or SSM Parameter Store, never in environment variables

  • Do: Use VPC endpoints instead of NAT Gateways for AWS service access when possible

  • Do: Enable Amazon GuardDuty Lambda Protection to monitor function network activity for threats (cryptocurrency mining, data exfiltration, C2 callbacks)

  • Don't: Use wildcard (*) resource ARNs or actions in IAM policies

  • Don't: Hardcode credentials or secrets in application code or templates

  • Don't: Store user data or sensitive information in module-level variables — execution environments can be reused across different callers

Idempotency
  • Do: Write idempotent function code — Lambda delivers events at least once, so duplicate invocations must be safe

  • Do: Use the AWS Lambda Powertools Idempotency utility (backed by DynamoDB) for critical operations

  • Do: Validate and deduplicate events at the start of the handler before performing side effects

  • Don't: Assume an event will only ever be processed once

For topic-specific best practices, see the dedicated guide files in the reference table above.

Lambda Limits Quick Reference

Limits that developers commonly hit:

ResourceLimit
Function timeout900 seconds (15 minutes)
Memory128 MB – 10,240 MB
1 vCPU equivalent1,769 MB memory
Synchronous payload (request + response)6 MB each
Async invocation payload1 MB
Streamed response200 MB
Deployment package (.zip, uncompressed)250 MB
Deployment package (.zip upload, compressed)50 MB
Container image10 GB
Layers per function5
Environment variables (aggregate)4 KB
/tmp ephemeral storage512 MB – 10,240 MB
Account concurrent executions (default)1,000 (requestable increase)
Burst scaling rate1,000 new executions per 10 seconds

Check Service Quotas for your account limits: aws lambda get-account-settings

Troubleshooting Quick Reference

ErrorCauseSolution
Build FailedMissing dependenciesRun sam_build with use_container: true
Stack is in ROLLBACK_COMPLETEPrevious deploy failedDelete stack with aws cloudformation delete-stack, redeploy
IteratorAge increasingStream consumer falling behindIncrease ParallelizationFactor and BatchSize. Use esm_optimize
EventBridge events silently droppedNo DLQ, retries exhaustedAdd RetryPolicy + DeadLetterConfig to rule target
Step Functions failing silentlyNo retry on Task stateAdd Retry with Lambda.ServiceException, Lambda.AWSLambdaException
Durable Function not resumingMissing IAM permissionsAdd lambda:CheckpointDurableExecution and lambda:GetDurableExecutionState — see durable-functions skill

For detailed troubleshooting, see references/troubleshooting.md.

Configuration

AWS CLI Setup

This skill requires that AWS credentials are configured on the host machine:

Verify access: Run aws sts get-caller-identity to confirm credentials are valid

SAM CLI Setup
  1. Install SAM CLI: Follow the SAM CLI installation guide

  2. Verify: Run sam --version

Container Runtime Setup
  1. Install a Docker compatible container runtime: Required for sam_local_invoke and container-based builds

  2. Verify: Use an appropriate command such as docker --version or finch --version

MCP Server Configuration

Write access is enabled by default. The plugin ships with --allow-write in .mcp.json, so the MCP server can create projects, generate IaC, and deploy on behalf of the user.

Access to sensitive data (like Lambda and API Gateway logs) is not enabled by default. To grant it, add --allow-sensitive-data-access to .mcp.json.

SAM Template Validation Hook

This plugin includes a PostToolUse hook that runs sam validate automatically after any edit to template.yaml or template.yml. If validation fails, the error is returned as a system message so you can fix it immediately. The hook requires SAM CLI and jq to be installed; if either is missing, validation is skipped with a system message. Users can disable it via /hooks.

Verify: Run jq --version

Language selection

Default: TypeScript

Override syntax:

  • "use Python" → Generate Python code

  • "use JavaScript" → Generate JavaScript code

When not specified, ALWAYS use TypeScript

IaC framework selection

Default: CDK

Override syntax:

  • "use CloudFormation" → Generate YAML templates

  • "use SAM" → Generate YAML templates

When not specified, ALWAYS use CDK

Serverless MCP Server Unavailable
  • Inform user: "AWS Serverless MCP not responding"

  • Ask: "Proceed without MCP support?"

  • DO NOT continue without user confirmation

Resources

Files

references/event-driven-architecture.md

Event-Driven Architecture Guide

Choreography vs Orchestration

The most important architectural decision in an event-driven system is whether services coordinate through choreography or orchestration.

ChoreographyOrchestration
How it worksServices emit events; other services react independentlyA central coordinator (Step Functions, Durable Functions) directs each step
CouplingLoose — publisher doesn't know about consumersTighter — coordinator knows about each step
VisibilityDistributed; hard to see the full flowCentralized; execution history in one place
Failure handlingEach service handles its own failuresCentral error handling and retry logic
Best forIndependent services reacting to facts about the worldBusiness-critical workflows requiring audit trails, visibility, and reliable sequencing

Use choreography (EventBridge + Lambda) when services are genuinely independent and don't need to know the outcome of each other's processing.

Use orchestration (Step Functions / Lambda durable functions) when you need reliable sequencing, compensating transactions, human approval steps, or the ability to visualize and debug the full workflow.

In practice, most systems use both: orchestration within a bounded context, choreography between bounded contexts.


EventBridge Concepts

Event Bus Types
TypeUse Case
Default busReceives AWS service events (EC2 state changes, S3 events, CodePipeline, etc.)
Custom busYour application events; recommended for all custom event routing
Partner busReceives events from SaaS partners (Datadog, Zendesk, Stripe, etc.)

Always use a custom event bus for application events — keeps your events separate from AWS service noise and simplifies IAM and monitoring.

Standard EventBridge Event Structure

Every event on the bus has this envelope (added automatically by EventBridge):

{
  "version": "0",
  "id": "12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012",
  "source": "com.mycompany.orders",
  "detail-type": "OrderPlaced",
  "account": "123456789012",
  "time": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "region": "us-east-1",
  "resources": [],
  "detail": {
    "orderId": "ord-987",
    "userId": "usr-123",
    "total": 49.99
  }
}
  • source — identifies the publishing service (com.mycompany.orders)

  • detail-type — identifies the event type (OrderPlaced)

  • detail — your business payload (up to 1 MB per event entry)

SAM Configuration

Custom event bus:

OrderEventBus:
  Type: AWS::Events::EventBus
  Properties:
    Name: order-events

OrderEventBusArn:
  Type: AWS::SSM::Parameter
  Properties:
    Name: /myapp/order-event-bus-arn
    Value: !GetAtt OrderEventBus.Arn
    Type: String

Lambda publishing events:

MyFunction:
  Type: AWS::Serverless::Function
  Properties:
    Policies:
      - Statement:
          - Effect: Allow
            Action: events:PutEvents
            Resource: !GetAtt OrderEventBus.Arn
    Environment:
      Variables:
        EVENT_BUS_ARN: !GetAtt OrderEventBus.Arn

Lambda subscribing via rule:

ProcessOrderFunction:
  Type: AWS::Serverless::Function
  Properties:
    Events:
      OrderPlaced:
        Type: EventBridgeRule
        Properties:
          EventBusName: !Ref OrderEventBus
          Pattern:
            source:
              - com.mycompany.orders
            detail-type:
              - OrderPlaced
          RetryPolicy:
            MaximumRetryAttempts: 3
            MaximumEventAgeInSeconds: 3600
          DeadLetterConfig:
            Type: SQS
            QueueLogicalId: ProcessOrderDLQ

ProcessOrderDLQ:
  Type: AWS::SQS::Queue
  Properties:
    MessageRetentionPeriod: 1209600  # 14 days
Publishing Events from Lambda

Python:

import json
import os
from datetime import datetime, timezone
import uuid
import boto3
from aws_lambda_powertools import Logger

logger = Logger()
events_client = boto3.client("events")
event_bus_arn = os.environ["EVENT_BUS_ARN"]

def publish_order_placed(order: dict):
    events_client.put_events(
        Entries=[{
            "EventBusName": event_bus_arn,
            "Source": "com.mycompany.orders",
            "DetailType": "OrderPlaced",
            "Detail": json.dumps({
                "metadata": {
                    "id": str(uuid.uuid4()),
                    "version": "1",
                    "timestamp": datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat(),
                    "correlationId": logger.get_correlation_id(),
                    "service": "order-service",
                },
                "data": order,
            }),
        }]
    )

TypeScript:

import { EventBridgeClient, PutEventsCommand } from '@aws-sdk/client-eventbridge';
import { randomUUID } from 'crypto';

const client = new EventBridgeClient({});
const eventBusArn = process.env.EVENT_BUS_ARN!;

async function publishOrderPlaced(order: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<void> {
  await client.send(new PutEventsCommand({
    Entries: [{
      EventBusName: eventBusArn,
      Source: 'com.mycompany.orders',
      DetailType: 'OrderPlaced',
      Detail: JSON.stringify({
        metadata: {
          id: randomUUID(),
          version: '1',
          timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
          service: 'order-service',
        },
        data: order,
      }),
    }],
  }));
}

Event Patterns (Content-Based Routing)

EventBridge rules use event patterns to filter which events reach a target. Patterns match against the standard envelope fields and anything inside detail.

All values are arrays — a field matches if the event value equals any element in the array:

{
  "source": ["com.mycompany.orders"],
  "detail-type": ["OrderPlaced", "OrderUpdated"],
  "detail": {
    "status": ["CONFIRMED"],
    "total": [{ "numeric": [">", 100] }]
  }
}

Common pattern operators:

OperatorExampleMatches
Exact match"status": ["ACTIVE"]status equals "ACTIVE"
Multiple values"status": ["ACTIVE", "PENDING"]status is either
Prefix"id": [{"prefix": "ord-"}]id starts with "ord-"
Anything-but"status": [{"anything-but": ["CANCELLED"]}]status is not "CANCELLED"
Exists"refundId": [{"exists": true}]refundId field is present
Numeric range"amount": [{"numeric": [">=", 0, "<", 1000]}]0 ≤ amount < 1000
Null"coupon": [null]coupon field is null

Up to 5 targets per rule. If you need to fan out to more consumers, route to an SNS topic or use the rule to fan out via SQS.


Event Design

Event Envelopes

Wrap your business payload in a custom metadata layer inside detail. This provides consistent fields for filtering, deduplication, and observability across all events regardless of the transport (EventBridge, SNS, SQS, Kinesis):

{
  "metadata": {
    "id": "01HXHMF28A94NS7NSHC5GM80F4",
    "version": "1",
    "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    "domain": "orders",
    "service": "order-service",
    "correlationId": "req-abc123"
  },
  "data": {
    "orderId": "ord-987",
    "userId": "usr-123",
    "total": 49.99
  }
}

Key metadata fields:

  • id — unique event identifier; use for idempotency deduplication

  • version — schema version of the data payload

  • timestamp — when the event occurred (not when it was received)

  • correlationId — trace ID that flows through the entire request chain

  • domain / service — for filtering and observability

Light Events vs Rich Events

Light events carry only IDs and directly relevant fields. Consumers fetch additional data they need.

Rich events include expanded entities — the complete state of the object at the time of the event.

Light eventsRich events
Payload sizeSmallLarge
Subscriber complexityHigher (must hydrate)Lower (self-contained)
Race conditionsRisk between event publish and data fetchNone
CouplingConsumer coupled to publisher's APIConsumer coupled to event schema only

Guidance:

  • Within a bounded context (same team, same domain): light events are fine — you control both sides

  • Across bounded contexts (different teams, different domains): prefer rich events — unknown consumers shouldn't need to call back into your service to understand what happened

Event Versioning

Prefer the no-breaking-changes policy: always add new fields, never remove or rename existing fields, never change a field's type. Consumers that ignore unknown fields continue working without any changes.

When a breaking change is unavoidable, the cleanest approach is versioning in the detail-type:

OrderPlaced.v1   →   OrderPlaced.v2

Consumers subscribe to specific versions. The publisher emits both versions during the migration window, then retires v1 once all consumers have migrated.

Avoid: using Lambda versions/aliases or API Gateway stages to version event-driven integrations — IAM roles don't version alongside function versions, which creates subtle permission bugs.


Retry Policy and Dead-Letter Queues

EventBridge retries failed Lambda invocations with exponential backoff. Configure both RetryPolicy and a DLQ on every rule target that processes important events:

Events:
  OrderEvent:
    Type: EventBridgeRule
    Properties:
      Pattern:
        source: [com.mycompany.orders]
      RetryPolicy:
        MaximumRetryAttempts: 3         # 0–185; default 185
        MaximumEventAgeInSeconds: 3600  # 60–86400; default 86400 (24h)
      DeadLetterConfig:
        Type: SQS
        QueueLogicalId: MyDLQ
  • MaximumRetryAttempts — how many times EventBridge retries before sending to DLQ

  • MaximumEventAgeInSeconds — EventBridge stops retrying after this age, even if retries remain

  • Without a DLQ, events that exhaust retries are silently dropped

Process your DLQ actively. Set a CloudWatch alarm on ApproximateNumberOfMessagesVisible and reprocess events by replaying them back to the event bus.


Archive and Replay

EventBridge can archive all events (or a filtered subset) and replay them at any time. This is invaluable for:

  • Reprocessing events after deploying a bug fix

  • Bootstrapping new consumers with historical events

  • Disaster recovery

Create an archive in SAM:

OrderEventArchive:
  Type: AWS::Events::Archive
  Properties:
    SourceArn: !GetAtt OrderEventBus.Arn
    EventPattern:
      source:
        - com.mycompany.orders
    RetentionDays: 30

Replay from the console, CLI, or API by specifying the archive, a time range, and optionally a different target bus.


EventBridge Pipes

Pipes provide point-to-point integrations following a Source → Filter → Enrich → Target pattern. Use Pipes when you need to:

  • Connect a stream/queue source to a target with enrichment (e.g., add customer data before sending to Step Functions)

  • Filter events before they reach the target (you only pay for events that pass the filter)

  • Transform payloads without writing a Lambda function

OrderPipe:
  Type: AWS::Pipes::Pipe
  Properties:
    Source: !GetAtt OrderQueue.Arn
    SourceParameters:
      SqsQueueParameters:
        BatchSize: 10
    Filter:
      Filters:
        - Pattern: '{"body": {"eventType": ["ORDER_CREATED"]}}'
    Enrichment: !GetAtt EnrichOrderFunction.Arn
    Target: !Ref OrderProcessingStateMachine
    TargetParameters:
      StepFunctionStateMachineParameters:
        InvocationType: FIRE_AND_FORGET
    RoleArn: !GetAtt PipeRole.Arn

Pipes vs Rules:

  • Use Pipes for point-to-point (one source → one target) with enrichment or transformation

  • Use Rules for fan-out (one event → multiple targets) or when the source is the event bus itself


Schema Registry

The EventBridge Schema Registry discovers and stores schemas for events on your bus. Use it to generate typed code bindings and enforce contracts.

Discover schemas automatically by enabling schema discovery on your event bus:

OrderBusDiscovery:
  Type: AWS::EventSchemas::Discoverer
  Properties:
    SourceArn: !GetAtt OrderEventBus.Arn

Once events flow through the bus, schemas appear in the registry. Then use the MCP tools to work with them:

  1. list_registries — browse available registries

  2. search_schema with keywords (e.g., "order") — find relevant schemas

  3. describe_schema — get the full schema definition

  4. Download code bindings from the console (Java, Python, TypeScript) — generates typed event classes

Use schemas as contracts: consumer teams reference a specific schema version. The publisher must not make breaking changes to a versioned schema without bumping the version.


Push vs Poll

PatternServicesCharacteristics
PushEventBridge, SNSLow latency; event delivered as soon as it occurs; minimal compute waste at low volume
PollSQS+ESM, Kinesis, DynamoDB StreamsFull throughput control; ordered processing; higher latency; better for batching

Choose push (EventBridge) when:

  • You need real-time fan-out to multiple independent consumers

  • Services are loosely coupled and don't need ordering guarantees

  • You want content-based routing without consumer-side filtering code

Choose poll (SQS/Kinesis) when:

  • You need strict ordering within a partition or message group

  • Consumer needs to control throughput (e.g., protect a downstream database)

  • You need large batch sizes for cost efficiency (e.g., bulk database writes)


Observability

For EventBridge metrics to alarm on, CloudWatch Logs Insights queries, and correlation ID propagation patterns, see observability.md.

Key principle: X-Ray traces Lambda execution but does not automatically connect publisher to consumer across the event bus. Propagate correlationId in the event metadata envelope (see Event Envelopes above) and use CloudWatch Logs Insights to reconstruct cross-service request chains.

Requirements and compatibility

Written for: Claude Code

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.

Needs: Claude Code frontmatter, Needs an MCP server

Security

What our scanner noticed· Low risk

  • Instructions that use the network

A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.

Attribution and licence

Published by
AWS Labs
Publisher
AWS Labs (Official)
Source
awslabs/agent-plugins · plugins/aws-serverless/skills/aws-lambda · commit fbefb37
Licence
Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • NOTICE (added by AutoGineer from NOTICE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
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