Agent Toolkit for AWS: AWS Agent Plugins
/agent-toolkit-for-aws
Agent Toolkit for AWS is worth using when an agent must work with AWS, because it combines AWS API access, task-specific skills, and auditable controls. The plugin path is cleaner for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and Devin, but setup becomes manual elsewhere. It is opinionated AWS tooling, not a general-purpose cloud abstraction.
Why AWS agent tooling needs guardrails
AWS coding agents need more than generated commands. They need current service guidance, authenticated API access, repeatable deployment knowledge, and policies that distinguish agent activity from human activity. Without those layers, an agent can guess at service selection, skip documentation checks, or make broad AWS changes without a clear audit trail.
What the Agent Toolkit includes
Agent Toolkit for AWS is AWS's official collection of MCP server configuration, AWS agent skills, and plugins for coding agents. The aws-core plugin covers service selection, infrastructure deployment, containers, storage, observability, billing, and SDK use. Add-ons target Bedrock agents, data analytics, DevSecOps, and startup architecture.
AWS tools skills and enterprise controls
- โAWS API access through one authenticated Model Context Protocol endpoint, covering any of the 300+ AWS services.
- โReal-time access to current AWS documentation, API references, and service capabilities without authentication.
- โAWS agent skills loaded on demand, so an agent can retrieve only the instructions and references relevant to a task.
- โAWS coding agent plugins that bundle MCP Server configuration and skills for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and Devin.
- โEnterprise controls including IAM condition keys, CloudWatch metrics, and CloudTrail audit logging for agent requests.
- โSandboxed Python script execution for multi-step AWS operations without granting the agent unrestricted local execution.
Common AWS agent workflows
- โขSelect an AWS architecture, scaffold CDK or CloudFormation resources, and deploy serverless, container, or storage applications.
- โขBuild AI agents on AWS with Amazon Bedrock and AgentCore using the aws-agents plugin.
- โขCreate data lake, analytics, and ETL workflows involving S3 Tables, AWS Glue, and Athena.
- โขInvestigate incidents, review code for release readiness, scan for vulnerabilities, and run penetration tests through the DevSecOps plugin.
- โขPlan startup architecture, assess costs and security, migrate from Azure or Google Cloud, and move model calls to Amazon Bedrock.
Installing the toolkit for your agent
Plugins activate inside the host agent; there is no separate deployment step. For Claude Code, add the official marketplace if necessary, then run `/plugin install aws-core@claude-plugins-official`. The repository also provides `aws-agents`, `aws-data-analytics`, `aws-agents-for-devsecops`, and `aws-startup-advisor`. For Codex, run `codex plugin marketplace add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws`, launch Codex, and use `/plugins` to install `aws-core`. For Cursor, import `aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws` under Settings โ Plugins โ Team Marketplaces โ Add Marketplace โ Import from Repo, then install `aws-core` from the Plugins panel. For Devin, run `devin plugins install aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws#plugins/aws-core` after `devin auth login`. Add `--local` for this machine only. For Kiro, add the AWS MCP Server to `.kiro/settings/mcp.json`, then run `npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/skills`. For fx, run `fx mcp add aws uvx mcp-proxy-for-aws-cli@latest https://aws-mcp.us-east-1.api.aws/mcp --metadata AWS_REGION=us-west-2`, then run `npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/skills -a fx`. Host-version requirements are not clearly documented.
Strengths
- โBroad AWS integration through a managed MCP Server, giving agents authenticated access to more than 300 AWS services, sandboxed script execution, and real-time documentation search.
- โUseful guardrails for production use: IAM condition keys can distinguish agent actions from human actions, while CloudWatch metrics and CloudTrail audit logging support monitoring and auditing.
- โCurated skills are loaded on demand and cover concrete workflows such as CDK/CloudFormation deployment, Bedrock and AgentCore development, data analytics, DevSecOps reviews, and startup architecture guidance.
- โThe same AWS MCP Server configuration and skills can be installed across Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Devin, Kiro, and fx, with plugins bundling setup into a single install.
- โDocumentation covers AWS CLI, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Devin, Kiro, fx, and other agents, including concrete setup commands and credential prerequisites.
Platform support and setup requirements
- โณOfficial plugin packaging is currently limited to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and Devin. Other agents require separate MCP Server configuration and skill installation.
- โณAWS API calls and sandboxed script execution require an AWS account with locally configured credentials. Documentation search and skill discovery do not.
- โณThe documented Kiro and fx MCP setup requires `uv`, while direct configuration differs between host configuration formats.
- โณManual MCP and skill setup is more fragmented than installing a plugin, and the README does not clearly document host-version requirements.
AWS Labs and direct MCP setup
Frequently asked questions
The Agent Toolkit for AWS plugins can be used with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and Devin. If you use another coding agent, set up the AWS MCP Server directly and install the AWS agent skills separately.
The AWS MCP Server requires AWS credentials for API access and sandboxed script execution. Its documentation-search capability and AWS agent skill discovery work without AWS authentication.
The aws-core plugin bundles AWS MCP Server configuration and core skills covering service selection, CDK, CloudFormation, serverless, containers, storage, observability, billing, SDK usage, and AWS deployment.
Yes. AWS agent skills are local instruction and reference packages, so they can guide an agent without the MCP Server. The MCP Server is separately needed for live AWS API access, script execution, and documentation search.
Agent Toolkit for AWS is the successor to the AWS Labs tools. It adds IAM condition keys for agent-specific policies, CloudWatch metrics, CloudTrail audit logging, and agent skills that the README says underwent end-to-end evaluations.
Agent Toolkit for AWS is released under the Apache-2.0 License. The repository includes a LICENSE file with the licensing details.
Who should try it โ and who should skip
Try Agent Toolkit for AWS if your coding agent needs to build, deploy, inspect, or automate real AWS workloads and your organization wants agent actions covered by IAM policies and audit logs. Skip the plugin layer if you only need isolated prompts, or if you require one-click support in a host that is not currently listed. Choose direct MCP configuration when you want the AWS endpoint without the bundled skill packages.
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