aws-lambda-functions — Claude Code skill: deploy Lambda without
A skill that walks your agent through creating and deploying AWS Lambda functions: event sources, permissions, layers, environment config.
npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill aws-lambda-functions -a claude-codeWhat aws-lambda-functions does
The skill covers AWS Lambda from several angles: plain AWS CLI, Node.js, Terraform and SAM. Five reference guides live in the references/ directory — a basic CLI function, a Node.js version, a Terraform deployment, a SAM build, and shared Lambda layers. The agent picks the guide that matches your stack instead of improvising commands.
The quick start builds an execution role first: aws iam create-role with lambda.amazonaws.com as the trusted principal, then aws iam attach-role-policy for AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole, then zipping the code and calling aws lambda create-function. You need a configured AWS CLI with IAM and Lambda permissions before any of that runs — otherwise the very first command fails on access denied. Worth checking before you hand the task to an agent.
The best-practices section lists the usual production breakers: secrets in code, operations past 15 minutes, missing concurrency limits, ignored CloudWatch metrics. Licensed MIT, authored by aj-geddes.
What it helps with
- create an execution role and attach the basic policy to it
- deploy a Lambda function from a ZIP with the AWS CLI
- move shared code into a layer and reuse it across functions
- describe the same function in Terraform or SAM instead of manual commands
- set environment variables and concurrency limits
Example prompts for the agent
- Create a Node.js Lambda function triggered by S3 uploads, with an execution role
- Show me how to package shared dependencies as a Lambda layer and attach it
- Write a SAM template for this function and add its environment variables
How to install aws-lambda-functions
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill aws-lambda-functions -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/aws-lambda-functions/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/aws-lambda-functions/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill aws-lambda-functions -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/aws-lambda-functions/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill aws-lambda-functions -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/aws-lambda-functions/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts aws-lambda-functions2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/aws-lambda-functions/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill aws-lambda-functions -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --path skills/aws-lambda-functionsManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/aws-lambda-functions/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill aws-lambda-functions -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about aws-lambda-functions
How do I install aws-lambda-functions in Claude?
Run npx skills add aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts --skill aws-lambda-functions -a claude-code. The skill file lands at ~/.claude/skills/aws-lambda-functions/SKILL.md.
What does aws-lambda-functions do?
It gives the agent instructions for building and deploying AWS Lambda functions — roles, permissions, layers, environment configuration — with examples in AWS CLI, Node.js, Terraform and SAM.
What do I need before using it?
A configured AWS CLI with IAM and Lambda permissions. Creating the execution role and attaching the policy are the first steps, and they fail without those rights.
Source text
SKILL.md · MIT
---
name: aws-lambda-functions
description: >
Create and deploy serverless functions using AWS Lambda with event sources,
permissions, layers, and environment configuration. Use for event-driven
computing without managing servers.
---
# AWS Lambda Functions
## Table of Contents
- [Overview](#overview)
- [When to Use](#when-to-use)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [Reference Guides](#reference-guides)
- [Best Practices](#best-practices)
## Overview
AWS Lambda enables you to run code without provisioning or managing servers. Build serverless applications using event-driven triggers, pay only for compute time consumed, and scale automatically with workload.
## When to Use
- API endpoints and webhooks
- Scheduled batch jobs and data processing
- Real-time file processing (S3 uploads)
- Event-driven workflows (SNS, SQS)
- Microservices and backend APIs
- Data transformations and ETL jobs
- IoT and sensor data processing
- WebSocket connections
## Quick Start
Minimal working example:
```bash
# Create Lambda execution role
aws iam create-role \
--role-name lambda-execution-role \
--assume-role-policy-document '{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Principal": {"Service": "lambda.amazonaws.com"},
"Action": "sts:AssumeRole"
}]
}'
# Attach basic execution policy
aws iam attach-role-policy \
--role-name lambda-execution-role \
--policy-arn arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/service-role/AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole
# Create function from ZIP
zip function.zip index.js
aws lambda create-function \
--function-name my-function \
--runtime nodejs18.x \
--role arn:aws:iam::ACCOUNT:role/lambda-execution-role \
--handler index.handler \
--zip-file fileb://function.zip \
// ... (see reference guides for full implementation)
```
## Reference Guides
Detailed implementations in the `references/` directory:
| Guide | Contents |
|---|---|
| [Basic Lambda Function with AWS CLI](references/basic-lambda-function-with-aws-cli.md) | Basic Lambda Function with AWS CLI |
| [Lambda Function with Node.js](references/lambda-function-with-nodejs.md) | Lambda Function with Node.js |
| [Terraform Lambda Deployment](references/terraform-lambda-deployment.md) | Terraform Lambda Deployment |
| [Lambda with SAM (Serverless Application Model)](references/lambda-with-sam-serverless-application-model.md) | Lambda with SAM (Serverless Application Model) |
| [Lambda Layers for Code Sharing](references/lambda-layers-for-code-sharing.md) | Lambda Layers for Code Sharing |
## Best Practices
### ✅ DO
- Use environment variables for configuration
- Implement proper error handling and logging
- Optimize package size and dependencies
- Set appropriate timeout and memory
- Use Lambda Layers for shared code
- Implement concurrency limits
- Enable X-Ray tracing for debugging
- Use reserved concurrency for critical functions
### ❌ DON'T
- Store sensitive data in code
- Create long-running operations (>15 min)
- Ignore cold start optimization
- Forget to handle concurrent executions
- Ignore CloudWatch metrics
- Use too much memory unnecessarily
© aj-geddes · MIT · aj-geddes/useful-ai-prompts