# atmos aws cloudformation

Deploy, inspect, and delete CloudFormation stacks using Atmos stack configuration.
The `cfn` alias is available for every CloudFormation command. No AWS CLI or Rain
installation is required.

> ⚠️ Experimental

**Configure CloudFormation Components**

Configure component locations, templates, parameters, and delivery targets.

Stack Configuration[Read more](/stacks/components/aws-cloudformation)

## Usage

```shell
atmos aws cloudformation <subcommand> [options]
```

## Examples

Preview and apply a component:

```shell
atmos aws cloudformation plan vpc -s plat-ue2-dev
atmos aws cloudformation apply vpc -s plat-ue2-dev
```

Use the short alias:

```shell
atmos aws cfn output vpc -s plat-ue2-dev
```

Select multiple components:

```shell
atmos aws cloudformation apply --all -s plat-ue2-dev
atmos aws cloudformation apply --affected --base origin/main
```

## Subcommands

## Execution controls

- **`--identity`, `-i`**
  Atmos identity for the operation. Use without a value to select interactively.
  Also configurable with 
  `ATMOS_IDENTITY`
  . An explicit CLI/environment identity
  overrides target defaults; see 
  [Target Authentication](/stacks/components/aws-cloudformation#target-authentication)
  .
- **`--dry-run`**
  Validate static configuration without evaluating templates or YAML functions,
  authenticating, downloading sources, running hooks, or calling AWS.
  Checks requiring dynamic values are deferred.
- **`--ci`**
  Enable CI integration when 
  `ci.enabled`
   is configured.
  See 
  [CI Summaries](#ci-summaries)
  .
- **`--skip-hooks`**
  Skip all lifecycle hooks, or use 
  `--skip-hooks=a,b`
   to skip named hooks.
  Also configurable with 
  `ATMOS_SKIP_HOOKS`
  . Applies to

  [commands that fire hooks](/stacks/components/aws-cloudformation#lifecycle-hooks)
  .

### Bulk Selection

Component operations accept `--all`, `--affected`, `--tags`, and `--labels`.
Use Git comparison flags such as `--base` to select affected components.
Apply runs dependencies first; deletion runs consumers first.

### CI Summaries

With CI and summary output enabled, `diff`/`plan`, `apply`/`deploy`, `delete`,
`drift detect`, and `drift describe` write job summaries. Dry-run does not.

GitHub Actions uses `GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY`. In other CI environments, set
`ATMOS_CI_SUMMARY` to the destination file. CloudFormation also publishes [CI output variables](/ci#outputs), controlled
independently by `ci.output.enabled` and `ci.output.variables`. It does not publish
PR comments, commit statuses, or stored artifacts.
See [CI configuration](/cli/configuration/ci).

## Try it out

Requires Docker or Podman, Python 3, and network access for the emulator image. Run against the local AWS emulator; the final commands clean up. No AWS account is needed.

```shell
atmos config set aliases.cft "aws cloudformation"
atmos emulator up aws -s local
atmos cft deploy demo -s local
atmos cft delete demo -s local --auto-approve
atmos emulator down aws -s local
```