aws-cdk
Authors, deploys, and troubleshoots AWS infrastructure using CDK with TypeScript or Python. Covers best practices, stack architecture, and construct patterns. Always use when writing CDK constructs, bootstrapping environments, running cdk deploy/synth/diff, fixing CDK or CloudFormation errors, planning stack structure, importing existing resources, resolving drift, or refactoring stacks without resource replacement.
How do I install this agent skill?
npx skills add https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws --skill aws-cdkIs this agent skill safe to install?
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This skill provides comprehensive guidance for AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) development, deployment, and troubleshooting. It emphasizes security best practices, such as using OIDC for CI/CD, applying compliance rule packs with cdk-nag, and performing strict synthesis checks. The commands and tools mentioned are standard components of the AWS development ecosystem.
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What does this agent skill do?
AWS CDK
Overview
Domain expertise for CDK construct authoring, deployment workflows, compliance, drift, importing resources, safe refactoring, and troubleshooting CDK CLI / CloudFormation errors.
When NOT to use: Raw CloudFormation YAML/JSON. SAM. Terraform/Pulumi. CI/CD beyond CDK Pipelines. Use builtin knowledge or specialized skills for these.
Critical Warnings
Deadly embrace: Removing a cross-stack reference deadlocks deployment (Export ... cannot be deleted as it is in use by ...). Preferred fix: weaken the reference first — CrossStackReferences.of($RESOURCE).produce(ReferenceStrength.BOTH) then WEAK, then remove (three deploys). Legacy fallback: two-deploy this.exportValue() recipe. See troubleshooting-deployment.
Construct ID changes cause replacement: Renaming/moving a construct changes its logical ID → CloudFormation replaces the resource (data loss for stateful resources). Always cdk diff before deploy. See refactor-and-prevent-replacement.
UPDATE_ROLLBACK_FAILED: Stack is stuck. Fix with cdk rollback $STACK or cdk rollback $STACK --orphan <LogicalId>. See troubleshooting-deployment.
Non-empty S3 buckets persist after destroy: You MUST set both removalPolicy: DESTROY and autoDeleteObjects: true. Versioned buckets are worse — delete markers persist even after apparent deletion.
Common Workflows
| Task | Quick Command | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Bootstrap | cdk bootstrap aws://$ACCOUNT/$REGION | bootstrap-and-project-setup |
| New TS project | cdk init app --language typescript — use tsx, eslint-plugin-awscdk | bootstrap-and-project-setup |
| New Python project | cdk init app --language python — pin deps, use virtualenv | bootstrap-and-project-setup |
| Deploy | cdk synth --strict → cdk diff → cdk deploy | Always diff before deploy to prod |
| cdk-nag | Aspects.of(app).add(new AwsSolutionsChecks()) | compliance-and-drift |
| Drift | cdk drift $STACK (use --fail in CI) | compliance-and-drift |
| Import resource | cdk import (interactive or --resource-mapping for CI), cdk deploy --import-existing-resources | import-and-migrate |
| Refactor safely | cdk refactor --unstable=refactor — no property changes in same deploy | refactor-and-prevent-replacement |
Troubleshooting
| Error | Cause → Fix |
|---|---|
| DeployFailed / DeploymentError | CDK error isn't the root cause. cdk deploy $STACK --verbose, then cdk --unstable=diagnose diagnose $STACK (CLI ≥ 2.1120.0); else aws cloudformation describe-events --stack-name $STACK --filters FailedEvents=true — the first _FAILED event is the cause. Details |
| NoCredentials / ExpiredToken / AssumeRoleFailed | aws sts get-caller-identity + cdk doctor. Expired SSO, missing env, missing sts:AssumeRole. Details |
| Asset errors (CannotFindAsset, FailedToBundleAsset, AssetBuildFailed, AssetPublishFailed) | Path wrong, Docker not running, or bootstrap bucket perms. Use path.join(__dirname, ...). Details |
| AppRequired | Add "app": "npx tsx bin/my-app.ts" to cdk.json. Details |
| AnnotationErrors | Fix the underlying issue; suppress with NagSuppressions only as last resort. Details |
| ConcurrentReadLock / ConcurrentWriteLock | rm -rf cdk.out then re-run. Parallel CI: --output ./cdk.out.$BUILD_ID. Details |
| BootstrapVersionValidation | Re-bootstrap. Match --qualifier everywhere. Details |
| DependencyCycle | Extract shared resource into third stack or use SSM for late-binding. Details |
| UnresolvedAccount | Set explicit env: { account, region } on stack. Commit cdk.context.json. Details |
| NoStacksMatched | CDK uses logical ID (2nd constructor arg), not CFN name. cdk list to find IDs. Details |
| Cannot find module (synth time) | Run npx tsc --noEmit, check cdk.json app path matches tsconfig.json outDir, delete stale .js files. Python: activate venv. Details |
| V1 import paths / duplicate aws-cdk-lib | V1 @aws-cdk/* imports, wrong Construct import, duplicate lib copies in monorepos. Details |
| Lambda Cannot find module (runtime) | Wrong handler value, missing SDK v3 migration, Python deps not bundled. Details |
| API Gateway multi-stage conflicts | Set deploy: false on RestApi, create Deployment and Stage explicitly. Details |
Construct Patterns
Prefer L2. Use L1 with Mixins/Facades when L2 lacks a property. Escape hatches: node.defaultChild → addPropertyOverride. See construct-patterns.
Additional Resources
- Search AWS documentation for "CDK Developer Guide", "CDK API Reference" and "CDK Pipelines" respectively
Security Considerations
- OIDC for CI/CD credentials (no static keys)
--custom-permissions-boundaryon bootstrapgrant*()for inter-resource IAMcdk-nag+--strictin CI- Stateful resources in own stack with
terminationProtection: true - Commit
cdk.context.json
How can the creator link this skill?
Add the canonical catalog link to the repository README so users can inspect current installs and available audits. The publishing guide covers the complete discovery path.
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