--- title: "AWS CloudFormation for Infrastructure as Code (IaC)" lang: "en" author: "Mohammad Abu Mattar" canonical: https://mkabumattar.com/post/aws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac --- ![Blog post image for AWS CloudFormation for Infrastructure as Code (IaC) - AWS CloudFormation lets you declare your infrastructure as JSON or YAML templates, so you can create, update, and manage AWS resources consistently through code instead of manual console clicks. This post covers templates, stacks, change sets, rollbacks, and best practices for using CloudFormation as part of an infrastructure as code workflow.](/_astro/hero.DW2mCCZ1_nDDwl.webp) [Home](/)›[Blog](/blog)›[All Categories](/blog/categories)›[AWS](/blog/categories/aws) Blog [Next in AWSUnmasking Hidden Costs: Your Guide to AWS Cost Optimization Cleanup Strategies](/blog/post/aws-cost-optimization-cleanup-strategies) [AWS](/blog/categories/aws)[CloudFormation](/blog/categories/cloudformation)[Infrastructure as Code](/blog/categories/infrastructure-as-code)[DevOps](/blog/categories/devops)[Cloud Automation](/blog/categories/cloud-automation) # AWS CloudFormation for Infrastructure as Code (IaC) [Mohammad Abu Mattar](/authors/mohammad-abu-mattar)Published: 22 May 202303 Mins read08 Mins listen [Markdown for AI(opens in a new tab)](/post/aws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac/index.md "Open the plain-Markdown version of this page, for pasting into an AI tool") TL;DR AWS CloudFormation lets you declare your infrastructure as JSON or YAML templates, so you can create, update, and manage AWS resources consistently through code instead of manual console clicks. This post covers templates, stacks, change sets, rollbacks, and best practices for using CloudFormation as part of an infrastructure as code workflow. Series [Infrastructure as Code Mastery](/series/infrastructure-as-code-mastery)4/8 [PreviousCloud Native Infrastructure on AWS](/blog/post/cloud-native-infrastructure-on-aws)[NextDeploying Serverless Applications with AWS SAM](/blog/post/deploying-serverless-applications-with-aws-sam) All posts in this series (8) Blog8 1. [Infrastructure Automation on AWS: CloudFormation, SAM, and Terraform for IaC](/blog/post/infrastructure-automation-on-aws-cloudformation-sam-and-terraform-for-iac) 2. [Understanding Infrastructure as Code (IaC)](/blog/post/understanding-infrastructure-as-code-iac) 3. [Cloud Native Infrastructure on AWS](/blog/post/cloud-native-infrastructure-on-aws) 4. [AWS CloudFormation for Infrastructure as Code (IaC)You are here](/blog/post/aws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac) 5. [Deploying Serverless Applications with AWS SAM](/blog/post/deploying-serverless-applications-with-aws-sam) 6. [Orchestrating Infrastructure with Terraform](/blog/post/orchestrating-infrastructure-with-terraform) 7. [Best Practices for Infrastructure Automation in a Cloud Native AWS Environment](/blog/post/best-practices-for-infrastructure-automation-in-a-cloud-native-aws-environment) 8. [Navigating the Future of Cloud with Multi-Cloud IaC: Pulumi and Crossplane](/blog/post/multi-cloud-iac-pulumi-crossplane-future-cloud) ### AWS CloudFormation for Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Contents [Introduction](#introduction)[What CloudFormation does](#what-cloudformation-does)[Declaring infrastructure with templates](#declaring-infrastructure-with-templates)[JSON or YAML](#json-or-yaml)[Resource definitions](#resource-definitions)[Stack management](#stack-management)[Managing updates and rollbacks](#managing-updates-and-rollbacks)[Change sets](#change-sets)[Rollback and recovery](#rollback-and-recovery)[The advantages of CloudFormation in IaC](#the-advantages-of-cloudformation-in-iac)[Automation and consistency](#automation-and-consistency)[Version control and collaboration](#version-control-and-collaboration)[Modular and scalable](#modular-and-scalable)[Best practices for CloudFormation in IaC](#best-practices-for-cloudformation-in-iac)[Parameterization](#parameterization)[Testing and validation](#testing-and-validation)[Infrastructure as code pipeline](#infrastructure-as-code-pipeline)[Conclusion](#conclusion)[References](#references) ## [Introduction](#introduction) AWS CloudFormation is one of the core Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools on AWS. It lets you declare your infrastructure using JSON or YAML templates, which simplifies creation and management. Instead of tangled manual configurations and one-off resource provisioning, you get consistent, repeatable infrastructure builds. ## [What CloudFormation does](#what-cloudformation-does) AWS CloudFormation is a service that lets you define and provision your infrastructure resources declaratively. You codify your infrastructure requirements in JSON or YAML templates that capture the desired state of your resources, and CloudFormation creates them consistently and reliably. ## [Declaring infrastructure with templates](#declaring-infrastructure-with-templates) ### [JSON or YAML](#json-or-yaml) CloudFormation supports both JSON and YAML for template definitions. Pick whichever format suits the way you and your team work. ### [Resource definitions](#resource-definitions) With CloudFormation templates, you define your infrastructure resources, such as Amazon EC2 instances, Amazon RDS databases, and Amazon S3 buckets. You specify properties, dependencies, and configurations for each resource, and the result is a blueprint for your infrastructure. ### [Stack management](#stack-management) CloudFormation organizes your resources into stacks so you can manage and provision them as a single unit. Stacks let you create, update, and delete your infrastructure in a controlled, orchestrated way. ## [Managing updates and rollbacks](#managing-updates-and-rollbacks) ### [Change sets](#change-sets) CloudFormation introduces the concept of change sets, which allow you to preview the impact of proposed changes before applying them. Change sets give you a safety net. You can review modifications and weigh the risks before the changes reach your infrastructure. ### [Rollback and recovery](#rollback-and-recovery) If an update fails, CloudFormation’s rollback mechanism reverts the stack to its previous state, so your infrastructure stays consistent even when something goes wrong. ## [The advantages of CloudFormation in IaC](#the-advantages-of-cloudformation-in-iac) ### [Automation and consistency](#automation-and-consistency) CloudFormation enables automation and repeatability in your infrastructure provisioning process. By defining your infrastructure as code, you eliminate manual configurations, which cuts human error and keeps deployments consistent. ### [Version control and collaboration](#version-control-and-collaboration) CloudFormation templates can be stored in version control systems, giving you a history of changes and letting team members collaborate. Multiple contributors can work together, track modifications, and roll back changes if necessary, which keeps the workflow auditable. ### [Modular and scalable](#modular-and-scalable) CloudFormation templates allow for modularity and scalability in infrastructure design. You can create reusable components, called nested stacks, that can be shared across multiple templates, which keeps things consistent and saves you from repeating the same definitions. ## [Best practices for CloudFormation in IaC](#best-practices-for-cloudformation-in-iac) ### [Parameterization](#parameterization) Parameterizing your CloudFormation templates gives you room to customize them. By externalizing values, you can easily adjust configurations for different environments or use cases without modifying the template itself. ### [Testing and validation](#testing-and-validation) Testing your CloudFormation templates helps confirm they’re correct and reliable. Tools like AWS CloudFormation Linter and AWS CloudFormation Guard can help validate the syntax, structure, and security of your templates. ### [Infrastructure as code pipeline](#infrastructure-as-code-pipeline) Integrating CloudFormation with continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines allows for automated and controlled deployments. You can use AWS CodePipeline and AWS CodeBuild to automatically test, validate, and deploy your infrastructure changes. ## [Conclusion](#conclusion) AWS CloudFormation gives you a consistent, repeatable way to manage infrastructure automation. With CloudFormation templates, you can declare your infrastructure resources, manage updates, and keep your infrastructure organized as it grows. ## [References](#references) 1. AWS CloudFormation User Guide, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/Welcome.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/Welcome.html) 2. What is Infrastructure as Code? - AWS, [https://aws.amazon.com/devops/infrastructure-as-code/](https://aws.amazon.com/devops/infrastructure-as-code/) 3. AWS CloudFormation Template Reference, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/template-reference.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/template-reference.html) 4. Working with Stacks - AWS CloudFormation, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/stacks.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/stacks.html) 5. Updating Stacks Using Change Sets - AWS CloudFormation, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/using-cfn-updating-stacks-changesets.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/using-cfn-updating-stacks-changesets.html) 6. AWS CloudFormation Best Practices, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/best-practices.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/best-practices.html) 7. Using Parameters - AWS CloudFormation, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/parameters-section-structure.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/parameters-section-structure.html) 8. AWS CloudFormation Linter (cfn-lint.), [https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/cfn-lint](https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/cfn-lint) 9. AWS CloudFormation Guard, [https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/cloudformation-guard](https://github.com/aws-cloudformation/cloudformation-guard) 10. AWS CodePipeline User Guide, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/codepipeline/latest/userguide/welcome.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/codepipeline/latest/userguide/welcome.html) 11. AWS CodeBuild User Guide, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/codebuild/latest/userguide/welcome.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/codebuild/latest/userguide/welcome.html) 12. Nested Stacks - AWS CloudFormation, [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/using-cfn-nested-stacks.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/using-cfn-nested-stacks.html) 13. AWS CloudFormation Workshops, [https://workshops.aws/categories/Management%20Tools#CloudFormation](https://workshops.aws/categories/Management%20Tools#CloudFormation) Was this useful? ## Tags [#AWS CloudFormation](/blog/tags/aws-cloudformation)[#IaC](/blog/tags/iac)[#JSON](/blog/tags/json)[#YAML](/blog/tags/yaml)[#DevOps Practices](/blog/tags/devops-practices)[#Cloud Infrastructure](/blog/tags/cloud-infrastructure)[#Automation](/blog/tags/automation)[#Stack Management](/blog/tags/stack-management)[#Change Sets](/blog/tags/change-sets)[#CI/CD](/blog/tags/cicd) ## Share [Facebook](https://facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Faws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac "Share on Facebook")[Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet/?text=AWS%20CloudFormation%20for%20Infrastructure%20as%20Code%20\(IaC\)&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Faws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac "Share on Twitter")[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Faws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac&title=AWS%20CloudFormation%20for%20Infrastructure%20as%20Code%20\(IaC\)&summary=AWS%20CloudFormation%20lets%20you%20declare%20your%20infrastructure%20as%20JSON%20or%20YAML%20templates%2C%20so%20you%20can%20create%2C%20update%2C%20and%20manage%20AWS%20resources%20consistently%20through%20code%20instead%20of%20manual%20console%20clicks.%20This%20post%20covers%20templates%2C%20stacks%2C%20change%20sets%2C%20rollbacks%2C%20and%20best%20practices%20for%20using%20CloudFormation%20as%20part%20of%20an%20infrastructure%20as%20code%20workflow.&source=https://mkabumattar.com "Share on LinkedIn")[WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=AWS%20CloudFormation%20for%20Infrastructure%20as%20Code%20\(IaC\)%20https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Faws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac "Share on WhatsApp")[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Faws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac&text=AWS%20CloudFormation%20for%20Infrastructure%20as%20Code%20\(IaC\) "Share on Telegram")[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Faws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac&title=AWS%20CloudFormation%20for%20Infrastructure%20as%20Code%20\(IaC\) "Share on Reddit")[Hacker News](http://news.ycombinator.com/submitlink?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Faws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac&t=AWS%20CloudFormation%20for%20Infrastructure%20as%20Code%20\(IaC\) "Share on Hacker News")[Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmkabumattar.com%2Fblog%2Fpost%2Faws-cloudformation-for-infrastructure-as-code-iac&media=&description=AWS%20CloudFormation%20lets%20you%20declare%20your%20infrastructure%20as%20JSON%20or%20YAML%20templates%2C%20so%20you%20can%20create%2C%20update%2C%20and%20manage%20AWS%20resources%20consistently%20through%20code%20instead%20of%20manual%20console%20clicks.%20This%20post%20covers%20templates%2C%20stacks%2C%20change%20sets%2C%20rollbacks%2C%20and%20best%20practices%20for%20using%20CloudFormation%20as%20part%20of%20an%20infrastructure%20as%20code%20workflow. 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