aws-mcp-setup

AWS MCP Server Configuration Guide

Overview

This guide helps you configure AWS MCP tools for AI agents. Two options are available:

| Option | Requirements | Capabilities | |--------|--------------|--------------| | Full AWS MCP Server | Python 3.10+, uvx, AWS credentials | Execute AWS API calls + documentation search | | AWS Documentation MCP | None | Documentation search only |

Step 1: Check Existing Configuration

Before configuring, check if AWS MCP tools are already available using either method:

Method A: Check Available Tools (Recommended)

Look for these tool name patterns in your agent's available tools:

• mcp__aws-mcp__* or mcp__aws__* → Full AWS MCP Server configured
• mcp__*awsdocs*__aws___* → AWS Documentation MCP configured

How to check: Run /mcp command to list all active MCP servers.

Method B: Check Configuration Files

Agent tools use hierarchical configuration (precedence: local → project → user → enterprise):

| Scope | File Location | Use Case | |-------|---------------|----------| | Local | .claude.json (in project) | Personal/experimental | | Project | .mcp.json (project root) | Team-shared | | User | ~/.claude.json | Cross-project personal | | Enterprise | System managed directories | Organization-wide |

Check these files for mcpServers containing aws-mcp, aws, or awsdocs keys:

# Check project config
cat .mcp.json 2>/dev/null | grep -E '"(aws-mcp|aws|awsdocs)"'

# Check user config
cat ~/.claude.json 2>/dev/null | grep -E '"(aws-mcp|aws|awsdocs)"'

# Or use Claude CLI
claude mcp list

If AWS MCP is already configured, no further setup needed.

Step 2: Choose Configuration Method

Automatic Detection

Run these commands to determine which option to use:

# Check for uvx (requires Python 3.10+)
which uvx || echo "uvx not available"

# Check for valid AWS credentials
aws sts get-caller-identity || echo "AWS credentials not configured"

Option A: Full AWS MCP Server (Recommended)

Use when: uvx available AND AWS credentials valid

Prerequisites:

• Python 3.10+ with uv package manager
• AWS credentials configured (via profile, environment variables, or IAM role)

Required IAM Permissions:

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [{
    "Effect": "Allow",
    "Action": [
      "aws-mcp:InvokeMCP",
      "aws-mcp:CallReadOnlyTool",
      "aws-mcp:CallReadWriteTool"
    ],
    "Resource": "*"
  }]
}

Configuration (add to your MCP settings):

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

Credential Configuration Options:

1. AWS Profile (recommended for development): ```json "args": [ "mcp-proxy-for-aws@latest", "https://aws-mcp.us-east-1.api.aws/mcp", "--profile", "my-profile", "--metadata", "AWS_REGION=us-west-2" ] ```

1. Environment Variables: ```json "env": { "AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID": "...", "AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY": "...", "AWS_REGION": "us-west-2" } ```

1. IAM Role (for EC2/ECS/Lambda): No additional config needed - uses instance credentials

Additional Options:

• --region <region>: Override AWS region
• --read-only: Restrict to read-only tools
• --log-level <level>: Set logging level (debug, info, warning, error)

Reference: https://github.com/aws/mcp-proxy-for-aws

Option B: AWS Documentation MCP Server (No Auth)

Use when:

• No Python/uvx environment
• No AWS credentials
• Only need documentation search (no API execution)

Configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "awsdocs": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://knowledge-mcp.global.api.aws"
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Verification

After configuration, verify tools are available:

For Full AWS MCP:

• Look for tools: mcp__aws-mcp__aws___search_documentation, mcp__aws-mcp__aws___call_aws

For Documentation MCP:

• Look for tools: mcp__awsdocs__aws___search_documentation, mcp__awsdocs__aws___read_documentation

Troubleshooting

| Issue | Cause | Solution | |-------|-------|----------| | uvx: command not found | uv not installed | Install with pip install uv or use Option B | | AccessDenied error | Missing IAM permissions | Add aws-mcp:* permissions to IAM policy | | InvalidSignatureException | Credential issue | Check aws sts get-caller-identity | | Tools not appearing | MCP not started | Restart your agent after config change |