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:

AWS Profile (recommended for development):

"args": [ "mcp-proxy-for-aws@latest", "https://aws-mcp.us-east-1.api.aws/mcp", "--profile", "my-profile", "--metadata", "AWS_REGION=us-west-2" ]

Environment Variables:

"env": { "AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID": "...", "AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY": "...", "AWS_REGION": "us-west-2" }

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

Additional Options:

--region : Override AWS region --read-only: Restrict to read-only tools --log-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__awssearchdocumentation, mcpaws-mcp__aws___call_aws

For Documentation MCP:

Look for tools: mcp__awsdocs__awssearchdocumentation, mcpawsdocs__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