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atmos aws cloudformation validate

Validate the component's template with CloudFormation's server-side ValidateTemplate API — a syntax and capability-discovery check, not a local linter.

Experimental
CloudFormation Configuration

Configure templates, parameters, and delivery targets for your component.

atmos aws cloudformation validate --help

Usage​

atmos aws cloudformation validate <component> --stack <stack> [options]

Examples​

atmos aws cloudformation validate vpc -s plat-ue2-dev

Validate all or affected components in dependency order:

atmos aws cloudformation validate --all -s plat-ue2-dev
atmos aws cloudformation validate --affected --base origin/main

Validate components selected by tags or labels:

atmos aws cloudformation validate --all --tags production,tier-1
atmos aws cloudformation validate --affected --labels cost-center=platform

Arguments​

component (required unless selecting multiple components)
CloudFormation component name in the Atmos stack.

Flags​

--stack, -s (required for a single component)
Atmos stack. With bulk selection flags, limits the selected components to this stack.
--all (optional)
Process all aws/cloudformation components. Deployment runs dependencies first; deletion runs consumers first.
--affected (optional)
Process affected aws/cloudformation components and their dependencies. Compares the working tree against a base: see --base and the Git flags below.
--include-dependents (optional)
With --affected, include dependent aws/cloudformation components.
--base (optional)
Git base ref or SHA to compare against for affected detection: --base=origin/main. A value that looks like a commit SHA is treated as --sha, anything else as --ref. Used with --affected.
--tags (optional)
Filter by tags (comma-separated, matches any): --tags=production,tier-1. Composes with --all/--affected to narrow the selected set further; cannot be combined with a single component argument.
--labels (optional)
Filter by labels (repeatable and/or comma-separated key=value or key:value pairs, matches all): --labels=cost-center=platform,compliance=sox. Composes with --all/--affected/--tags; cannot be combined with a single component argument.
--ci (optional)
Enable CI integration for supported operations when ci.enabled is configured. Summary and output-variable publishing use their respective CI settings. Also enabled by CI and ATMOS_CI.
--ref (optional)
Git ref to compare against for affected detection. Used with --affected.
--sha (optional)
Git SHA to compare against for affected detection. Used with --affected.
--repo-path (optional)
Path to an already cloned target repository to use as the affected baseline. Used with --affected.
--clone-target-ref (optional)
Clone the target ref instead of checking it out in the current repository for affected detection. Used with --affected.
--ssh-key (optional)
Path to the SSH private key used to clone the target ref for affected detection. Used with --clone-target-ref.
--ssh-key-password (optional)
Password for the SSH private key used to clone the target ref for affected detection. Used with --clone-target-ref.
note

validate only checks template syntax and discovers required capabilities (e.g. CAPABILITY_IAM) via the AWS API. It does not run local linters such as cfn-lint or cfn-guard — declare those tools via the toolchain subsystem and run them from hooks or workflow steps if you want that check.

Try it out​

Copy the example into a new directory and make it your own:

atmos init examples/cloudformation
cd cloudformation

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.

atmos config set aliases.cft "aws cloudformation"
atmos emulator up aws -s local
atmos cft validate demo -s local
atmos emulator down aws -s local
Explore the example →Initialization and repository settings