cfn-lint 1.44.0
Checks CloudFormation templates for practices and behaviour that could potentially be improved
Requires Python: >=3.9
Keywords: aws, cloudformation, lint

# AWS CloudFormation Linter

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Validate AWS CloudFormation yaml/json templates against the [AWS CloudFormation resource provider schemas](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/resource-type-schemas.html) and additional checks. Includes checking valid values for resource properties and best practices.

### Warning

This is an attempt to provide validation for AWS CloudFormation templates properties and
their values. For values things can get pretty complicated (mappings, joins, splits,
conditions, and nesting those functions inside each other) so it's a best effort to
validate those values but the promise is to not fail if we can't understand or translate
all the things that could be going on.

## Contribute

We encourage you to contribute to `cfn-lint`! Please check out the [Contributing Guidelines](https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/cfn-lint/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) for more information on how to proceed.

## Community

Join us on Discord! Connect & interact with CloudFormation developers &
experts, find channels to discuss and get help for cfn-lint, CloudFormation registry, StackSets,
Guard and more:

[![Join our Discord](https://discordapp.com/api/guilds/981586120448020580/widget.png?style=banner3)](https://discord.gg/9zpd7TTRwq)

#### Serverless Application Model

The Serverless Application Model (SAM) is supported by the linter. The template is
transformed using [AWS SAM](https://github.com/awslabs/serverless-application-model) before the linter processes the template.

_To get information about the [SAM Transformation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/transform-aws-serverless.html), run the linter with `--info`_

## Install

Python 3.9 to 3.13 are supported.

### Pip

`pip install cfn-lint`. If pip is not available, run
`python setup.py clean --all` then `python setup.py install`.

#### Optional dependencies

`cfn-lint` has optional dependencies based on certain features you may need.

* `pip install cfn-lint[full]` for installing all the optional dependencies. This will install all the dependencies for graph, junit, and sarif.
* `pip install cfn-lint[graph]` for installing `pydot` to draw and output template graphs
* `pip install cfn-lint[junit]` for installing the packages to output the `junit` format
* `pip install cfn-lint[sarif]` for installing the packages to output the `sarif` format


### Homebrew (macOS)

`brew install cfn-lint`

### Docker

In `cfn-lint` source tree:

```shell
docker build --tag cfn-lint:latest .
```

In repository to be linted:

```shell
docker run --rm -v `pwd`:/data cfn-lint:latest /data/template.yaml
```

### Editor Plugins

There are IDE plugins available to get direct linter feedback from you favorite editor:

- [Atom](https://atom.io/packages/atom-cfn-lint)
- [Emacs](https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/CfnLint)
- NeoVim 0.2.0+/Vim 8
  - [ALE](https://github.com/w0rp/ale#supported-languages)
  - [Coc](https://github.com/joenye/coc-cfn-lint)
  - [Syntastic](https://github.com/speshak/vim-cfn)
- [Sublime](https://packagecontrol.io/packages/SublimeLinter-contrib-cloudformation)
- [Visual Studio Code](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=kddejong.vscode-cfn-lint)
- [IntelliJ IDEA](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/10973-cfn-lint)

### [GitHub Action](https://github.com/marketplace/actions/cfn-lint-action)

### [Online demo](https://github.com/PatMyron/cfn-lint-online)

## Basic Usage

- `cfn-lint template.yaml`
- `cfn-lint -t template.yaml`

Multiple files can be linted by either specifying multiple specific files:

- `cfn-lint template1.yaml template2.yaml`
- `cfn-lint -t template1.yaml template2.yaml`

or by using wildcards (globbing):

Lint all `yaml` files in `path`:

- `cfn-lint path/*.yaml`

Lint all `yaml` files in `path` and all subdirectories (recursive):

- `cfn-lint path/**/*.yaml`

_Note_: If using sh/bash/zsh, you must enable globbing.
(`shopt -s globstar` for sh/bash, `setopt extended_glob` for zsh).

##### Exit Codes

`cfn-lint` will return a non zero exit if there are any issues with your template. The value is dependent on the severity of the issues found. For each level of discovered error `cfn-lint` will use bitwise OR to determine the final exit code. This will result in these possibilities.

- 0 is no issue was found
- 2 is an error
- 4 is a warning
- 6 is an error and a warning
- 8 is an informational
- 10 is an error and informational
- 12 is an warning and informational
- 14 is an error and a warning and an informational

###### Configuring Exit Codes

`cfn-lint` allows you to configure exit codes. You can provide the parameter `--non-zero-exit-code` with a value of `informational`, `warning`, `error`, or `none`. `cfn-lint` will determine the exit code based on the match severity being the value of the parameter `--non-zero-exit-code` and higher. The exit codes will remain the same as above.

The order of severity is as follows:

1. `informational` _default_
1. `warning`
1. `error`
1. `none` _Exit code will always be 0 unless there is a syntax error_

##### Specifying the template as an input stream

The template to be linted can also be passed using standard input:

- `cat path/template.yaml | cfn-lint -`

##### Specifying the template with other parameters

- `cfn-lint -r us-east-1 ap-south-1 -- template.yaml`
- `cfn-lint -r us-east-1 ap-south-1 -t template.yaml`

## Configuration

### Command Line

From a command prompt run `cfn-lint <path to template>` to run standard linting of the template.

### Config File

It will look for a configuration file in the following locations (by order of preference):

- `.cfnlintrc`, `.cfnlintrc.yaml` or `.cfnlintrc.yml` in the current working directory
- `~/.cfnlintrc` for the home directory

In that file you can specify settings from the parameter section below.

Example:

```yaml
templates:
  - test/fixtures/templates/good/**/*.yaml
ignore_templates:
  - codebuild.yaml
include_checks:
  - I
custom_rules: custom_rules.txt
```

### Parameters

Optional parameters:

| Command Line               | Metadata             | Options                                        | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| -------------------------- | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| -h, --help                 |                      |                                                | Get description of cfn-lint                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| -z, --custom-rules         |                      | filename                                       | Text file containing user-defined custom rules. See [here](#Custom-Rules) for more information                                                                                                                                                        |
| -t, --template             |                      | filename                                       | Alternative way to specify Template file path to the file that needs to be tested by cfn-lint                                                                                                                                                         |
| --deployment-files         | deployment_files     |                                                | Specify deployment files that are used to configure the template runner. This will specify templates and parameters and you don't specify parameters or parameter files with this parameter.  Examples of a deployment include: [GitSync](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/git-sync.html)
| --parameters               | parameters           |                                                | Specify a list of parameters using the format `Key=Value`                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| --parameter-files          | parameter_files      |                                                | A list of parameter files that would be used when using the aws cli                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| -f, --format               | format               | quiet, parseable, json, junit, pretty, sarif   | Output format                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| -l, --list-rules           |                      |                                                | List all the rules                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| -L, --list-templates       |                      |                                                | List all the templates would have linted                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| -r, --regions              | regions              | [REGIONS [REGIONS ...]], ALL_REGIONS           | Test the template against many regions. [Supported regions](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/resource-type-schemas.html)                                                                                                |
| -b, --ignore-bad-template  | ignore_bad_template  |                                                | Ignores bad template errors                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| --ignore-templates         |                      | IGNORE_TEMPLATES [IGNORE_TEMPLATES ...]        | Ignore templates from being scanned                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| -a, --append-rules         | append_rules         | [RULESPATH [RULESPATH ...]]                    | Specify one or more rules paths using one or more --append-rules arguments. Each path can be either a directory containing python files, or an import path to a module.                                                                               |
| -i, --ignore-checks        | ignore_checks        | [IGNORE_CHECKS [IGNORE_CHECKS ...]]            | Only check rules whose ID do not match or prefix these values. Examples: <br />- A value of `W` will disable all warnings<br />- `W2` disables all Warnings for Parameter rules.<br />- `W2001` will disable rule `W2001`                             |
| -e, --include-experimental | include_experimental |                                                | Whether rules that still in an experimental state should be included in the checks                                                                                                                                                                    |
| -c, --include-checks       |                      | INCLUDE_CHECKS [INCLUDE_CHECKS ...]            | Include rules whose id match these values                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| -m, --mandatory-checks     |                      |                                                | Rules to check regardless of ignore configuration                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| --non-zero-exit-code       |                      | informational (default), warning, error, none] | Exit code will be non zero from the specified rule class and higher                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| -x, --configure-rule       |                      | CONFIGURE_RULES [CONFIGURE_RULES ...]          | Provide configuration for a rule. Format RuleId:key=value. Example: E3012:strict=true                                                                                                                                                                 |
| -D, --debug                |                      |                                                | Specify to enable debug logging. Debug logging outputs detailed information about rules processing, useful for debugging rules.                                                                                                                       |
| -I, --info                 |                      |                                                | Specify to enable logging. Outputs additional information about the template processing.                                                                                                                                                              |
| -u, --update-specs         |                      |                                                | Update the [CloudFormation resource provider schemas](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/resource-type-schemas.html). You may need sudo to run this. You will need internet access when running this command              |
| -p, --patch-specs          |                      |                                                | Patch the CloudFormation Specs in place                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| -o, --override-spec        |                      | filename                                       | Spec-style file containing custom definitions. Can be used to override CloudFormation specifications. More info [here](#customize-specifications)                                                                                                     |
| -g, --build-graph          |                      |                                                | Creates a file in the same directory as the template that models the template's resources in [DOT format](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOT_(graph_description_language)>)                                                                           |
| -s, --registry-schemas     |                      |                                                | one or more directories of [CloudFormation Registry](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/cloudformation-update-cli-third-party-resource-support-registry/) [Resource Schemas](https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/aws-cloudformation-resource-schema/) |
| -v, --version              |                      |                                                | Version of cfn-lint                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |

### Info Rules

To maintain backwards compatibility `info` rules are not included by default. To include these rules you will need to include `-c I` or `--include-checks I`

### Metadata

#### Template Based Metadata

Inside the root level Metadata key you can configure cfn-lint using the supported parameters.

```yaml
Metadata:
  cfn-lint:
    config:
      regions:
        - us-east-1
        - us-east-2
      ignore_checks:
        - E2530
```

#### Resource Based Metadata

Inside a resources Metadata key you can configure cfn-lint to ignore checks. This will filter out failures for the resource in which the Metadata belongs. Keep in mind that [`AWS::Serverless` resources may lose metadata during the Serverless transform](https://github.com/awslabs/serverless-application-model/issues/450#issuecomment-643420308)

```yaml
Resources:
  myInstance:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Instance
    Metadata:
      cfn-lint:
        config:
          ignore_checks:
            - E3030
    Properties:
      InstanceType: nt.x4superlarge
      ImageId: ami-abc1234
```

### Precedence

cfn-lint applies configurations from several sources. The rules at lower levels are overridden by those at higher levels.

1. cfnlintrc configurations
2. Template Metadata configurations
3. CLI parameters

### Configure Rules

Certain rules support configuration properties. You can configure these rules by using `configure_rules` parameter.

From the command line the format is `RuleId:key=value`, for example: `E3012:strict=true`.
From the cfnlintrc or Metadata section the format is

```yaml
Metadata:
  cfn-lint:
    config:
      configure_rules:
        RuleId:
          key: value
```

The configurable rules have a non-empty Config entry in the table [here](docs/rules.md#rules-1).

### Getting Started Guides

There are [getting started guides](/docs/getting_started) available in the documentation section to help with integrating `cfn-lint` or creating rules.

## Rules

This linter checks the AWS CloudFormation template by processing a collection of Rules, where every rule handles a specific function check or validation of the template.

This collection of rules can be extended with custom rules using the `--append-rules` argument.

More information describing how rules are set up and an overview of all the Rules that are applied by this linter are documented [here](docs/rules.md).

## Custom Rules

The linter supports the creation of custom one-line rules which compare any resource with a property using pre-defined operators. These custom rules take the following format:

```
<Resource Type> <Property[*]> <Operator> <Value> [Error Level] [Custom Error Message]
```

### Example

A separate custom rule text file must be created.

The example below validates `example_template.yml` does not use any EC2 instances of size `m4.16xlarge`

_custom_rule.txt_

```
AWS::EC2::Instance InstanceType NOT_EQUALS "m4.16xlarge" WARN "This is an expensive instance type, don't use it"
```

_example_template.yml_

```yaml
AWSTemplateFormatVersion: "2010-09-09"
Resources:
  myInstance:
    Type: AWS::EC2::Instance
    Properties:
      InstanceType: m4.16xlarge
      ImageId: ami-asdfef
```

The custom rule can be added to the [configuration file](#Config-File) or ran as a [command line argument](#Parameters)

The linter will produce the following output, running `cfn-lint example_template.yml -z custom_rules.txt`:

```
W9001  This is an expensive instance type, don't use it
mqtemplate.yml:6:17
```

More information describing how custom rules are setup and an overview of all operators available is documented [here](docs/custom_rules.md).

## Customize specifications

The linter follows the [AWS CloudFormation resource provider schemas](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/resource-type-schemas.html) by default. However, for your use case specific requirements might exist. For example, within your organisation it might be mandatory to use [Tagging](https://aws.amazon.com/answers/account-management/aws-tagging-strategies/).

The linter provides the possibility to implement these customized specifications using the `--override-spec` argument.

More information about how this feature works is documented [here](docs/customize_specifications.md)

## pre-commit

If you'd like cfn-lint to be run automatically when making changes to files in your Git repository, you can install [pre-commit](https://pre-commit.com/) and add the following text to your repositories' `.pre-commit-config.yaml`:

```yaml
repos:
  - repo: https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/cfn-lint
    rev: v1.44.0 # The version of cfn-lint to use
    hooks:
      - id: cfn-lint
        files: path/to/cfn/dir/.*\.(json|yml|yaml)$
```

If you are using a `.cfnlintrc` and specifying the `templates` or `ignore_templates` we would recommend using the `.cfnlintrc` exlusively to determine which files should be scanned and then using:

```yaml
repos:
  - repo: https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/cfn-lint
    rev: v1.44.0 # The version of cfn-lint to use
    hooks:
      - id: cfn-lint-rc
```

_Note: When mixing .cfnlintrc ignore_templates and files option in your .pre-commit-config.yaml cfn-lint may return a file not found error_

- If you exclude the `files:` line above, every json/yml/yaml file will be checked.
- You can see available cfn-lint versions on the [releases page](https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/cfn-python-lint/releases).