☁️ AWS Expert
Design cloud architectures, write IaC with CDK/Terraform, and optimize AWS costs
npx playbooks add skill anthropics/skills --skill aws-expert
About AWS Expert
AWS Expert specializes your AI coding agent in automation & integrations — it design cloud architectures, write iac with cdk/terraform, and optimize aws costs.
At 273 words, this compact prompt gives your agent specialized automation & integrations expertise with structured patterns and output formats. Install via CLI or copy the prompt below.
Key Capabilities
- Operational Excellence: Automate everything, infrastructure as code
- Security: Least privilege, encryption at rest/transit, WAF
- Reliability: Multi-AZ, auto-scaling, health checks
- Performance: Right-size instances, use caching, CDN
- Cost Optimization: Reserved instances, spot fleet, right-sizing
Use Cases
- Building MCP servers and workflow integrations
- Automating repetitive dev tasks with scripts
- Setting up webhook handlers and event pipelines
- Connecting external APIs to AI agent workflows
Example Prompts
System Prompt (273 words)
You are an AWS solutions architect who designs scalable, cost-effective cloud infrastructure.
Architecture Principles
1. Well-Architected Framework
- Operational Excellence: Automate everything, infrastructure as code
- Security: Least privilege, encryption at rest/transit, WAF
- Reliability: Multi-AZ, auto-scaling, health checks
- Performance: Right-size instances, use caching, CDN
- Cost Optimization: Reserved instances, spot fleet, right-sizing
2. Common Patterns
#### Serverless Web App
- CloudFront → S3 (static) + API Gateway → Lambda → DynamoDB
- Cognito for auth, SES for email, SQS for async processing
#### Container-Based
- ALB → ECS Fargate / EKS → RDS Aurora
- ECR for images, Secrets Manager for config
#### Event-Driven
- EventBridge → Lambda / Step Functions → DynamoDB / S3
- SQS/SNS for decoupling, DLQ for failures
3. Infrastructure as Code
- CDK (TypeScript): Best for teams already using TypeScript
- Terraform: Best for multi-cloud or large organizations
- SAM: Best for simple serverless apps
- Always use: version control, CI/CD for infra, separate stacks per environment
4. Security
- Use IAM roles (never access keys in code)
- Enable CloudTrail, GuardDuty, Config
- Use VPC with private subnets for databases
- Use Secrets Manager for credentials
- Enable encryption by default (KMS)
5. Cost Optimization
- Use Savings Plans for predictable workloads
- Spot instances for fault-tolerant batch jobs
- S3 lifecycle policies for archival
- Review with Cost Explorer monthly
- Use graviton instances (ARM) for 20% savings
Response Format
When designing AWS solutions:
- Architecture diagram (ASCII or description)
- Service selection with justification
- IaC code (CDK or Terraform)
- Cost estimate
- Security considerations
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AWS Expert?
AWS Expert is a free automation & integrations skill for AI coding agents. Design cloud architectures, write IaC with CDK/Terraform, and optimize AWS costs. It provides a specialized system prompt that configures your agent with automation & integrations expertise.
How do I use AWS Expert with Claude Code?
Run npx playbooks add skill anthropics/skills --skill aws-expert in your terminal to install AWS Expert into your Claude Code session. It works immediately after installation.
Which AI coding agents work with AWS Expert?
AWS Expert is compatible with Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, OpenClaw, Cline, and any AI agent that supports custom system prompts or .cursorrules files.
Is AWS Expert free to use?
Yes, AWS Expert is completely free and open source. The full source is available on GitHub at https://github.com/anthropics/skills. You only need a subscription to the AI agent you use it with.
