# Source: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-go/v1/developer-guide/configuring-sdk.html

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[Documentation](/index.html)[AWS SDK for Go](/sdk-for-go/index.html)[Developer Guide](welcome.html)

Creating a SessionSpecifying the AWS RegionSpecifying CredentialsConfiguring a ProxyLogging Service CallsCreating a Custom Endpoint

AWS SDK for Go V1 has reached end-of-support. We recommend that you migrate to [AWS SDK for Go V2](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-go/v2/developer-guide/). For additional details and information on how to migrate, please refer to this [announcement](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs//developer/announcing-end-of-support-for-aws-sdk-for-go-v1-on-july-31-2025/).

# Configuring the AWS SDK for Go

In the AWS SDK for Go, you can configure settings for service clients, such as the log level and maximum number of retries. Most settings are optional. However, for each service client, you must specify an AWS Region and your credentials. The SDK uses these values to send requests to the correct Region and sign requests with the correct credentials. You can specify these values as part of a session or as environment variables.

## Creating a Session

Before you can create a service client you must create a session, which is part of the `github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/session` package.

There are a number of ways of configuring a session but the following are the most common.

Create a session using the default Region and credentials:
    
    
    import (
        "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
        "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/session"
    )
    
    // ...
    
    sess := session.Must(session.NewSessionWithOptions(session.Options{
        SharedConfigState: session.SharedConfigEnable,
    }))

Create a session in **us-west-2** :
    
    
    import (
        "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws"
        "github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/aws/session"
    )
    
    // ...
    
    sess, err := session.NewSession(&aws.Config{
        Region: aws.String("us-west-2")},
    )

See [session](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-go/api/aws/session) for additional information.

## Specifying the AWS Region

When you specify the Region, you specify where to send requests, such as `us-west-2` or `us-east-2.` For a list of Regions for each service, see [Service endpoints and quotas](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/general/latest/gr/aws-service-information.html) in the Amazon Web Services General Reference.

The SDK does not have a default Region. To specify a Region:

  * Set the `AWS_REGION` environment variable to the default Region

  * Set the `AWS_SDK_LOAD_CONFIG` environment variable to **true** to get the Region value from the _config_ file in the `.aws/` folder in your home directory

  * Set the **NewSessionWithOptions** method argument **SharedConfigState** to **SharedConfigEnable** when you create a session to get the Region value from the _config_ file in the `.aws/` folder in your home directory

  * Set the Region explicitly when you create a session




If you set a Region using all of these techniques, the SDK uses the Region you explicitly specified in the session.

The following examples show you how to configure the environment variable.

**Linux, OS X, or Unix**
    
    
    $ export AWS_REGION=us-west-2

**Windows**
    
    
    > set AWS_REGION=us-west-2

The following snippet specifies the Region in a session:
    
    
    sess, err := session.NewSession(&aws.Config{Region: aws.String("us-west-2")})

## Specifying Credentials

The AWS SDK for Go requires credentials (an access key and secret access key) to sign requests to AWS. You can specify your credentials in several different locations, depending on your particular use case. For information about obtaining credentials, see [Setting Up](./setting-up.html).

When you initialize a new service client without providing any credential arguments, the SDK uses the [default credential provider chain](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-go/api/aws/defaults/#CredChain) to find AWS credentials. The SDK uses the first provider in the chain that returns credentials without an error. The default provider chain looks for credentials in the following order:

  1. Environment variables.

  2. Shared credentials file.

  3. If your application uses an ECS task definition or RunTask API operation, IAM role for tasks.

  4. If your application is running on an Amazon EC2 instance, IAM role for Amazon EC2.




The SDK detects and uses the built-in providers automatically, without requiring manual configurations. For example, if you use IAM roles for Amazon EC2 instances, your applications automatically use the instance’s credentials. You don’t need to manually configure credentials in your application.

As a best practice, AWS recommends that you specify credentials in the following order:

  1. Use IAM roles for tasks if your application uses an ECS task definition or RunTask API operation.

  2. Use IAM roles for Amazon EC2 (if your application is running on an Amazon EC2 instance).

IAM roles provide applications on the instance temporary security credentials to make AWS calls. IAM roles provide an easy way to distribute and manage credentials on multiple Amazon EC2 instances.

  3. Use a shared credentials file.

This credentials file is the same one used by other SDKs and the AWS CLI. If you’re already using a shared credentials file, you can also use it for this purpose.

  4. Use environment variables.

Setting environment variables is useful if you’re doing development work on a machine other than an Amazon EC2 instance.




### IAM Roles for Tasks

If your application uses an Amazon ECS task definition or `RunTask` operation, use [IAM Roles for Tasks](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonECS/latest/developerguide/task-iam-roles.html) to specify an IAM role that can be used by the containers in a task.

### IAM Roles for Amazon EC2 Instances

If you are running your application on an Amazon EC2 instance, use the instance’s [IAM role](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/iam-roles-for-amazon-ec2.html) to get temporary security credentials to make calls to AWS.

If you have configured your instance to use IAM roles, the SDK uses these credentials for your application automatically. You don’t need to manually specify these credentials.

### Shared Credentials File

A credential file is a plaintext file that contains your access keys. The file must be on the same machine on which you’re running your application. The file must be named `credentials` and located in the `.aws/` folder in your home directory. The home directory can vary by operating system. In Windows, you can refer to your home directory by using the environment variable `%UserProfile%`. In Unix-like systems, you can use the environment variable `$HOME` or `~` (tilde).

If you already use this file for other SDKs and tools (like the AWS CLI), you don’t need to change anything to use the files in this SDK. If you use different credentials for different tools or applications, you can use _profiles_ to configure multiple access keys in the same configuration file.

#### Creating the Credentials File

If you don’t have a shared credentials file (`.aws/credentials`), you can use any text editor to create one in your home directory. Add the following content to your credentials file, replacing `<YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_ID>` and `<YOUR_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY>` with your credentials.
    
    
    [default]
    aws_access_key_id = <YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_ID>
    aws_secret_access_key = <YOUR_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY>

The `[default]` heading defines credentials for the default profile, which the SDK will use unless you configure it to use another profile.

You can also use temporary security credentials by adding the session tokens to your profile, as shown in the following example:
    
    
    [temp]
    aws_access_key_id = <YOUR_TEMP_ACCESS_KEY_ID>
    aws_secret_access_key = <YOUR_TEMP_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY>
    aws_session_token = <YOUR_SESSION_TOKEN>

#### Specifying Profiles

You can include multiple access keys in the same configuration file by associating each set of access keys with a profile. For example, in your credentials file, you can declare multiple profiles, as follows.
    
    
    [default]
    aws_access_key_id = <YOUR_DEFAULT_ACCESS_KEY_ID>
    aws_secret_access_key = <YOUR_DEFAULT_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY>
    
    [test-account]
    aws_access_key_id = <YOUR_TEST_ACCESS_KEY_ID>
    aws_secret_access_key = <YOUR_TEST_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY>
    
    [prod-account]
    ; work profile
    aws_access_key_id = <YOUR_PROD_ACCESS_KEY_ID>
    aws_secret_access_key = <YOUR_PROD_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY>

By default, the SDK checks the `AWS_PROFILE` environment variable to determine which profile to use. If no `AWS_PROFILE` variable is set, the SDK uses the default profile.

If you have an application named `myapp` that uses the SDK, you can run it with the test credentials by setting the variable to `test-account myapp`, as shown in the following command.
    
    
    $ AWS_PROFILE=test-account myapp

You can also use the SDK to select a profile by specifying `os.Setenv("AWS_PROFILE", test-account)` before constructing any service clients or by manually setting the credential provider, as shown in the following example.
    
    
    sess, err := session.NewSession(&aws.Config{
        Region:      aws.String("us-west-2"),
        Credentials: credentials.NewSharedCredentials("", "test-account"),
    })

In addition, checking if your credentials have been found is fairly easy.
    
    
    _, err := sess.Config.Credentials.Get()

If `ChainProvider` is being used, set `CredentialsChainVerboseErrors` to `true` in the session config.

###### Note

If you specify credentials in environment variables, the SDK will always use those credentials, no matter which profile you specify.

### Environment Variables

By default, the SDK detects AWS credentials set in your environment and uses them to sign requests to AWS. That way you don’t need to manage credentials in your applications.

The SDK looks for credentials in the following environment variables:

  * `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID`

  * `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY`

  * `AWS_SESSION_TOKEN` (optional)




The following examples show how you configure the environment variables.

**Linux, OS X, or Unix**
    
    
    $ export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=YOUR_AKID
    $ export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=YOUR_SECRET_KEY
    $ export AWS_SESSION_TOKEN=TOKEN

**Windows**
    
    
    > set AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=YOUR_AKID
    > set AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=YOUR_SECRET_KEY
    > set AWS_SESSION_TOKEN=TOKEN

### Hard-Coded Credentials in an Application (Not Recommended)

###### Warning

Do not embed credentials inside an application. Use this method only for testing purposes.

You can hard-code credentials in your application by passing the access keys to a configuration instance, as shown in the following snippet.
    
    
    sess, err := session.NewSession(&aws.Config{
        Region:      aws.String("us-west-2"),
        Credentials: credentials.NewStaticCredentials("AKID", "SECRET_KEY", "TOKEN"),
    })

### Other Credentials Providers

The SDK provides other methods for retrieving credentials in the `aws/credentials` package. For example, you can retrieve temporary security credentials from AWS Security Token Service or credentials from encrypted storage. For more information, see [Credentials](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-go/api/aws/credentials/).

## Configuring a Proxy

If you cannot directly connect to the internet, you can use Go-supported environment variables (`HTTP_PROXY`) or create a custom HTTP client to configure your proxy. Use the [Config.HTTPClient](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-go/api/aws/#Config.WithHTTPClient) struct to specify a custom HTTP client. For more information about how to create an HTTP client to use a proxy, see the [Transport](https://golang.org/pkg/net/http/#Transport) struct in the Go `http` package.

## Logging Service Calls

You can enable logging in a client by setting the `LogLevel` in a configuration instance, as shown in the following snippet, which sets the log level to `LogDebugWithHTTPBody` for a new DynamoDB client.
    
    
    svc := dynamodb.New(sess, aws.NewConfig().WithLogLevel(aws.LogDebugWithHTTPBody))

See [LogLevelType](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-go/api/aws/#LogLevelType) for the different log level values.

## Creating a Custom Endpoint

In most cases you use the endpoint that is pre-configured for a service. However, you can specify a custom endpoint, such as for pre-release versions of the service, as shown in the following snippet, which sets the `Endpoint` to `https://test.us-west-2.amazonaws.com` for a new DynamoDB client.
    
    
    svc := dynamodb.New(sess, &aws.Config{Endpoint: aws.String("https://test.us-west-2.amazonaws.com")})

See [aws.Config](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-go/api/aws/#Config) for details.

###### Topics




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