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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the AWS Resource Query agent skill

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The aws-resource-query skill lets an AI agent answer plain-English questions about your Amazon Web Services account, such as which instances are running, which S3 buckets exist, or which Lambda functions are deployed. It is meant for engineers, cloud operators and auditors who want an inventory without memorising AWS CLI syntax. After this guide you will know how to install the skill, what it needs before it works, how to phrase requests, and what it will and will not do.

AWS Resource Querygithub/awesome-copilot · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Download the skill ZIP. Get the aws-resource-query ZIP file from this page.
  2. 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. You can also upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
  3. 3Install and configure the AWS CLI. Make sure the AWS CLI is installed and on your PATH, and that it has credentials set up with aws configure or an assumed role.
  4. 4Use read-only credentials. Choose credentials that only have read-only permissions, since the skill depends on the account it runs under.
  5. 5Confirm your account and region. Run the identity check so you know which account the skill will query before you ask anything else.
  6. 6Ask a natural language question. Describe the resources you want, for example listing stopped EC2 instances or S3 buckets.

What the skill makes the agent do

An agent skill is a folder of instructions that an AI agent loads when your request matches it. This skill tells the agent to translate your question into a matching read-only AWS CLI command, run it, and show the result as a table.

The skill covers EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, ECS, EKS, Secrets Manager, IAM, VPC, networking, messaging and more. Its command mapping includes compute, storage and database services, with examples such as EC2 instances, Lambda functions, ECS clusters, EKS clusters, S3 buckets and RDS instances.

  • Answers questions about what exists and what state it is in
  • Shows results as readable tables and gives a count first for large result sets
  • Offers to filter further when a result set is large
  • Refuses write actions such as creating, changing or deleting resources

Install the aws-resource-query skill

Download the ZIP file for the skill from this page. Unzip it into your personal skills folder at ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill available only in that project.

If you use the Claude apps instead, upload the skill under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.

  • Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
  • Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
  • Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload

Set up AWS access before you start

The skill cannot work without a configured AWS CLI. The source lists three requirements: the AWS CLI installed and on your PATH, AWS credentials with read-only permissions (for example set up with aws configure or through an assumed role), and network access to AWS endpoints.

Use read-only credentials. The skill is built to avoid changes, but the safest setup is an identity that cannot change anything even if a command were run by mistake.

  • AWS CLI installed and on the PATH
  • Credentials with read-only permissions, for example via aws configure or an assumed role
  • Network access to AWS endpoints
aws sts get-caller-identity --query '{Account:Account,UserId:UserId}'

Ask questions in natural language

You do not need to name a command. Describe what you want to see, and the agent picks the matching query. The skill first confirms which account and region it is using, and it adds a region flag to every command when you name one.

Name the service and the scope when you can. Words like running, stopped, unattached or public make the results more specific.

  • list EC2 instances or show my VMs
  • show running instances only
  • stopped instances
  • list S3 buckets
  • list Lambda functions
  • list RDS instances or what databases do I have
  • EKS clusters or Kubernetes clusters
  • unattached EBS volumes or unused volumes
aws ec2 describe-instances --filters Name=instance-state-name,Values=stopped --query 'Reservations[].Instances[].[InstanceId,InstanceType,Tags[?Key==`Name`].Value|[0]]' --output table

Safety: what the skill will and will not run

The skill declares a strict read-only contract. It uses only describe, list and get style commands, along with a few specific ones such as aws sts get-caller-identity and aws configure get. It is documented to never run commands whose names start with create, run, start, stop, reboot, delete, terminate, put, update, modify, attach, detach, send, publish, invoke or execute.

If your request implies a change, the skill replies that it is read-only and offers to show the current state of the resource instead.

The skill runs scripts and uses the network. Query results, including secret metadata and IAM details, are sent to the AI model, so check that your account's access is appropriate before you use it on sensitive accounts.

  • Allowed: describe-*, list-*, get-* and a few specific read commands
  • Blocked: create-*, delete-*, start-*, stop-*, update-*, modify-* and other write verbs
  • Results go to the AI model, so limit the credentials you give it

Tips for better results

Start with a narrow question. Large accounts can return thousands of rows, so filter by service, region or state before asking for everything.

If the skill returns nothing or errors, first check that your credentials work by running the identity check shown above. Most setup problems come from a missing CLI, missing credentials or the wrong region.

  • Name the region when you have resources in several
  • Ask for a specific service rather than the whole account
  • Use the count the skill shows first to decide whether to filter
  • Ask for details on one named resource when a list is too broad

What people use it for

  • Get a quick inventory of EC2 instances, stopped instances or instance types in use
  • Find unattached EBS volumes or old EBS snapshots you own
  • Check S3 bucket encryption, versioning, public access settings or lifecycle rules during an audit
  • List Lambda functions, their triggers and their concurrency settings
  • Review EKS or ECS clusters, node groups and services during an incident investigation

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the aws-resource-query skill?

Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

What do I need to run the aws-resource-query skill?

You need the AWS CLI installed and on your PATH, AWS credentials with read-only permissions, and network access to AWS endpoints. Credentials can come from aws configure or an assumed role.

Is the aws-resource-query skill free?

The skill is listed under the MIT licence on its source repository. The licence terms are in the repository itself.

Can the skill change or delete my AWS resources?

No. The skill is documented as strictly read-only and blocks commands that create, modify, start, stop or delete resources. If you ask for a change, it explains that it is read-only and offers to show the current state instead.

Why does the skill say it cannot find my resources or fail to run?

Check that the AWS CLI is installed and on your PATH, and that your credentials work by running aws sts get-caller-identity. Also confirm you are using the right region, since the skill adds your region to commands when you specify one.

Is it safe to use with sensitive AWS accounts?

Use it with care. Query results, including secret metadata and IAM details, are sent to the AI model, so only use it where the credentials you give it are appropriate for that data.

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Our verdict

This skill suits engineers and operators who want quick, read-only answers about EC2, S3, Lambda, ECS, EKS and database resources without learning CLI syntax. Skip it if you need the agent to make changes, if your credentials cover sensitive data you do not want sent to an AI model, or if you do not have the AWS CLI set up.

Download the skill