Prerequisites for Using the AWS Agent Toolkit: Complete Setup Guide

To use the AWS Agent Toolkit, you must install the uv Python package manager and configure valid AWS credentials on your local machine.

The AWS Agent Toolkit is a collection of plugins, skills, and a managed AWS MCP Server that enables AI coding agents to interact with AWS services. Before you can install the aws-core plugin or invoke AWS services through your agent, you must satisfy two essential prerequisites documented in the aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws repository.

Essential Prerequisites for the AWS Agent Toolkit

The toolkit requires two foundational components to function correctly: the uv runtime for Python execution and valid AWS authentication for API access.

Install the uv Package Manager

The toolkit relies on uv as its Python package manager and runtime. According to the repository's top-level [README.md](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/README.md), uv is mandatory for running the toolkit's scripts and MCP Server client.

To install uv on Linux or macOS:

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Verify the installation was successful:

uv --version

Configure AWS Credentials

You need a valid AWS account with credentials configured locally so the MCP Server can authenticate API calls. The [README.md](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/README.md) explicitly states that an AWS account with credentials configured locally is required for API calls and script execution.

Configure your credentials using the AWS CLI:

aws configure

This prompts for your Access Key ID, Secret Access Key, default region, and output format. Alternatively, you can use environment variables or IAM roles if running on AWS infrastructure.

Installing the Core Plugin

Once uv and AWS credentials are in place, you can install the aws-core plugin. The [plugins/aws-core/README.md](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/plugins/aws-core/README.md) assumes these prerequisites are already satisfied before proceeding.

For Claude Code:

/plugin install aws-core@claude-plugins-official
/plugin reload

For terminal-based agents like Codex:

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

How Prerequisites Enable Core Functionality

These prerequisites directly support the toolkit's architecture. The [plugins/aws-core/skills/signing-in-to-aws/SKILL.md](https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/blob/main/plugins/aws-core/skills/signing-in-to-aws/SKILL.md) file describes the skill agents use to authenticate with AWS, which depends on the pre-configured credentials being present. Similarly, the rules/ directory contains optional rule files that require a working MCP Server, which in turn depends on uv and AWS authentication.

Summary

• Install uv to provide the Python runtime and package management required by the toolkit's scripts and MCP Server client.
• Configure AWS credentials locally to enable the MCP Server to authenticate API calls and execute AWS service operations.
• The aws-core plugin and all downstream skills depend on these two prerequisites being satisfied first.
• Optional components in the rules/ directory and agent-specific connectors build upon this foundation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is uv and why is it required by the AWS Agent Toolkit?

uv is a fast Python package manager and runtime developed by Astral. The AWS Agent Toolkit uses uv to execute scripts and manage the MCP Server client, making it a mandatory prerequisite according to the repository's README.md.

Can I use AWS SSO or IAM roles instead of access keys?

Yes. While the examples show aws configure with access keys, the toolkit only requires that valid AWS credentials are present in your environment. This can include AWS SSO profiles, IAM roles on EC2 instances, or credentials from AWS IAM Identity Center, as long as they are accessible to the MCP Server process.

Which AI agents are compatible with this toolkit?

The toolkit supports multiple agents including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and Kiro. Each agent has specific UI steps for plugin installation, but all require the same two prerequisites: uv installed and AWS credentials configured locally.

Where can I find additional configuration options?

Detailed configuration instructions are documented in the plugins/aws-core/README.md file. For authentication-specific guidance, refer to plugins/aws-core/skills/signing-in-to-aws/SKILL.md. The top-level README.md in the repository provides the complete quick-start guide.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}