aws-cli

TLDR

Configure AWS credentials

$ aws configure

List S3 buckets

$ aws s3 ls

Copy file to S3

$ aws s3 cp [path/to/file] s3://[bucket]/[key]

Sync directory to S3

$ aws s3 sync [path/to/directory] s3://[bucket]/[prefix]

List EC2 instances

$ aws ec2 describe-instances

Get caller identity (verify credentials)

$ aws sts get-caller-identity

Invoke a Lambda function

$ aws lambda invoke --function-name [function_name] [output.json]

Use a specific profile

$ aws --profile [profile_name] s3 ls

SYNOPSIS

aws [options] service command [parameters]

aws is the official command-line interface for Amazon Web Services, providing unified access to all AWS services. It enables managing cloud infrastructure, deploying applications, and automating operations from the terminal.
The CLI uses credentials stored in ~/.aws/credentials and configuration in ~/.aws/config. Multiple profiles support working with different AWS accounts or roles. Commands follow the pattern aws service operation --parameters.
Output can be formatted as JSON, YAML, text, or tables, and filtered using JMESPath queries with --query. The CLI supports shell completion and an interactive auto-prompt mode for discovering commands and parameters.

PARAMETERS

configure

Interactive setup for credentials and default region.

--profile name

Use named profile from credentials file.

--region region

Override the default region.

--output format

Output format: json, yaml, text, table.

--query expression

JMESPath query to filter output.

--no-cli-pager

Disable paging of output.

--debug

Enable debug logging.

--dry-run

Preview operation without executing (supported commands).

--cli-auto-prompt

Enable interactive auto-prompt mode.

COMMON SERVICES

Simple Storage Service (object storage).

ec2

Elastic Compute Cloud (virtual servers).

iam

Identity and Access Management.

lambda

Serverless compute functions.

sts

Security Token Service.

cloudformation

Infrastructure as code stacks.

rds

Relational Database Service.

dynamodb

NoSQL database service.

CAVEATS

Credentials stored in plain text; use IAM roles on EC2 or credential helpers for better security. API rate limits apply to most AWS operations. Some commands incur AWS charges. Region must be specified or defaulted for most services. MFA-protected operations require session tokens.

HISTORY

The AWS CLI was first released in 2012 to replace the older service-specific command-line tools. Version 2, released in 2020, added features like auto-prompt, SSO integration, and native installers. The CLI is maintained by AWS and updated frequently to support new services and features, making it the primary tool for AWS automation and administration.