# How to Use the Agent Toolkit for AWS: A Complete Setup Guide

> Master the Agent Toolkit for AWS with this setup guide. Enhance AI coding agents and interact with 300+ AWS APIs seamlessly.

- Repository: [Amazon Web Services/agent-toolkit-for-aws](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws)
- Tags: getting-started
- Published: 2026-06-28

---

**The AWS Agent Toolkit provides plugins, skills, and an AWS MCP Server that enable AI coding agents to interact with AWS services through a single authenticated endpoint exposing 300+ APIs.**

The **agent toolkit for AWS** (`aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws`) extends popular AI coding assistants like Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor with secure, AWS-native capabilities. This open-source repository bundles MCP (Model Context Protocol) server configurations, agent-specific plugins, and reusable skills that handle authentication and API access uniformly across AWS services.

## What Is the Agent Toolkit for AWS?

The toolkit consists of three primary components:

- **Plugins** – Agent-specific packages that bundle MCP server configurations and AWS-focused skills
- **Skills** – Reusable capabilities for specific AWS tasks (CDK deployment, Bedrock agent building, data analytics)
- **AWS MCP Server** – A proxy server that authenticates with your AWS credentials and exposes service APIs through a standardized interface

According to the repository's [`README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/README.md), the architecture ensures that any supported AI agent can discover, install, and invoke AWS capabilities without requiring individual service configurations.

## Prerequisites and Supported Agents

The toolkit currently supports Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Kiro, and any MCP-compatible agent. Before installation, ensure you have:

- Valid AWS credentials configured in your environment
- The target AI agent installed and initialized
- Node.js and `npx` available (for cross-platform skill installation)

## Installation Methods by Agent

Each supported agent uses a different installation path, though all rely on the same underlying MCP server and skill packages.

### Claude Code

Install the starter plugin using the built-in plugin manager:

```bash
/plugin install aws-core@claude-plugins-official

```

Update the marketplace index if the plugin does not appear immediately:

```bash
/plugin marketplace update claude-plugins-official

```

This command references the official plugin registry defined in the repository's [`README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/README.md) lines 18–23.

### Codex

Add the marketplace source and install via the Codex CLI:

```bash
codex plugin marketplace add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws

```

Then launch Codex and run `/plugins` to browse and install the desired plugin (documented in [`README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/README.md) lines 57–66).

### Cursor

For Cursor, add the repository as a Team Marketplace:

1. Navigate to **Settings** → **Plugins** → **Team Marketplaces**
2. Add the `aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws` repository
3. Install the plugin from the **Plugins** panel

This workflow is detailed in [`README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/README.md) lines 67–72.

### Kiro

Kiro requires manual MCP server configuration. Create the configuration file at `~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aws": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-proxy-for-aws@1.6.3",
        "https://aws-mcp.us-east-1.api.aws/mcp",
        "--metadata", "AWS_REGION=us-west-2"
      ]
    }
  }
}

```

After configuring the server, install the skills:

```bash
npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/skills

```

### Other Agents

For any MCP-compatible agent not explicitly listed, manually configure the MCP server using the JSON configuration above, then run:

```bash
npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/skills

```

This universal installation method is documented in [`README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/README.md) lines 102–108.

## Understanding the Plugin Architecture

The toolkit organizes capabilities into modular plugins stored in the `plugins/` directory.

### Core Plugin (aws-core)

The **aws-core** plugin serves as the starter package, covering essential AWS workflows including:

- Service selection and navigation
- CDK and CloudFormation deployment
- Serverless and container management
- Observability and billing integration
- SDK usage patterns

Documentation for this plugin resides in [`plugins/aws-core/README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/plugins/aws-core/README.md).

### Specialized Plugins

The repository provides three additional specialized plugins:

- **aws-agents** – Skills for building AI agents on Amazon Bedrock and AgentCore
- **aws-data-analytics** – Data lake, Glue, Athena, and vector search workflows
- **aws-agents-for-devsecops** – Incident investigation, code review, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing

Each plugin's specific capabilities are documented in their respective [`README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/README.md) files within the `plugins/` directory.

## Configuring the AWS MCP Server

The **AWS MCP Server** acts as the authentication and API gateway. It requires the `mcp-proxy-for-aws` package (version 1.6.3) and connects to the AWS-hosted endpoint at `https://aws-mcp.us-east-1.api.aws/mcp`.

The server accepts metadata parameters to configure regional endpoints and credential profiles. In the configuration above, `AWS_REGION=us-west-2` directs all API calls to the US West 2 region.

## Installing Skills Across All Agents

Regardless of the agent you use, the `npx skills add` command provides a standardized way to install individual capabilities:

```bash
npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/skills

```

This command pulls the latest skill definitions from the `skills/` directory, which catalogs all individual skill packages. For policy-guided usage, reference [`rules/aws-agent-rules.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/rules/aws-agent-rules.md), which contains recommended policy files that guide agents on safe AWS usage patterns.

## Key Configuration Files

The repository structure contains several authoritative reference files:

| File Path | Purpose |
|-----------|---------|
| [`README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/README.md) | High-level overview, quick-start guides, and installation commands |
| [`plugins/aws-core/README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/plugins/aws-core/README.md) | Core plugin documentation and bundled skills |
| [`plugins/aws-agents-for-devsecops/README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/plugins/aws-agents-for-devsecops/README.md) | DevSecOps skills and security workflows |
| [`rules/aws-agent-rules.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/rules/aws-agent-rules.md) | Policy files for safe AWS usage |
| [`skills/README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/skills/README.md) | Complete catalog of individual skill packages |

## Summary

- The **agent toolkit for AWS** provides a unified interface for AI agents to access 300+ AWS APIs through the AWS MCP Server.
- **Installation varies by agent**: Claude Code uses `/plugin install`, Codex uses marketplace commands, Cursor uses Team Marketplaces, and Kiro requires manual MCP configuration.
- **Four plugins** cover distinct use cases: `aws-core` (general), `aws-agents` (Bedrock), `aws-data-analytics` (data workflows), and `aws-agents-for-devsecops` (security).
- **Universal skill installation** uses `npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/skills` across all supported agents.
- The MCP server configuration requires `mcp-proxy-for-aws@1.6.3` and the endpoint `https://aws-mcp.us-east-1.api.aws/mcp`.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I authenticate the AWS MCP Server with my credentials?

The AWS MCP Server automatically uses your environment's AWS credentials. Ensure you have valid credentials configured via the AWS CLI or environment variables (`AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID`, `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY`). The server reads these credentials at startup to authenticate calls to AWS services.

### Can I use the agent toolkit for AWS with custom or self-hosted AI agents?

Yes. Any agent supporting the Model Context Protocol (MCP) can connect to the AWS MCP Server. Configure the server manually using the JSON configuration provided in the repository's [`README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/README.md), then install skills using the `npx skills add` command.

### What is the difference between plugins and skills in the AWS Agent Toolkit?

**Plugins** are agent-specific bundles that include MCP server configurations and curated skill collections (e.g., `aws-core`). **Skills** are individual, reusable capabilities that perform specific AWS tasks. Plugins provide quick setup for specific agents, while skills can be mixed and matched across any MCP-compatible agent.

### Which plugin should I install first?

Start with the **aws-core** plugin. According to [`plugins/aws-core/README.md`](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/plugins/aws-core/README.md), this plugin covers service selection, CDK/CloudFormation deployment, serverless architectures, containers, observability, and billing—providing the foundational AWS capabilities required for most workflows.