| name | awscli |
| description | AWS CLI command-line interface. Use for AWS automation. |
AWS CLI
The AWS CLI allows you to control AWS services from the command line. In 2025, usage is centered around AWS IAM Identity Center (formerly SSO) for secure, short-lived credentials.
When to Use
- Scripting: Automate S3 uploads (
aws s3 sync).
- DevOps: Debugging permissions or inspecting resources without the Console UI.
- CI/CD: Deploying CloudFormation/CDK stacks (though specialized tools are often better).
Quick Start
curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/AWSCLIV2.pkg" -o "AWSCLIV2.pkg"
sudo installer -pkg AWSCLIV2.pkg -target /
aws configure sso
aws sso login --profile my-profile
Core Concepts
Profiles
Managed in ~/.aws/config. Allow switching between Prod, Staging, and Dev accounts easily.
export AWS_PROFILE=prod
Query (--query)
Built-in JMESPath filtering. Use it instead of piping to jq for simple lookups.
aws ec2 describe-instances --query "Reservations[*].Instances[*].PublicIpAddress"