
signing-in-to-aws
Gets AWS credentials for CLI/SDK access via aws login. Activates when a developer needs to authenticate to AWS for local development, when an AWS operation fails due to missing or expired credentials, or when someone asks about setting up AWS access. Triggers: "set up AWS", "configure AWS", "aws login", "get credentials", "authenticate", "session expired", "token expired", "no credentials", "AccessDeniedException" with no configured credentials.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws --skill signing-in-to-aws- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads signing-in-to-aws automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
Security audits
Independent scans of the skill's instructions and bundled files.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
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 --version
If 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.
- Succeeds: Show the user their Account and Arn. Ask whether to keep these or set up different credentials. If they want to switch, recommend
- (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 alternatives - The 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
FAQ
What does the signing-in-to-aws skill do?
Gets AWS credentials for CLI/SDK access via aws login. Activates when a developer needs to authenticate to AWS for local development, when an AWS operation fails due to missing or expired credentials, or when someone asks about setting up AWS access. Triggers: "set up AWS", "configure AWS", "aws login", "get credentials", "authenticate", "session expired", "token expired", "no credentials", "AccessDeniedException" with no configured credentials.
How do I install signing-in-to-aws?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws --skill signing-in-to-aws in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/signing-in-to-aws/ (personal) or .claude/skills/signing-in-to-aws/ (project).
Which AI agents can use signing-in-to-aws?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is signing-in-to-aws safe to install?
Security partners have reviewed it: Gen Agent Trust Hub passed; Socket passed; Snyk passed. As with any skill, read the SKILL.md and bundled scripts before installing.
Who maintains signing-in-to-aws?
It is published by aws in aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 6,136 recorded installs.
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