AWS CloudFormation Templates is a collection of sample CloudFormation templates designed to help developers start new infrastructure projects on AWS.
The repository addresses the need for reference implementations when building infrastructure as code. Rather than starting from scratch, developers can examine and adapt existing templates that demonstrate common AWS patterns and configurations. Each template is validated against CloudFormation Linter checks and a baseline set of CloudFormation Guard rules derived from the CIS Top 20 security benchmark, ensuring they follow established best practices and security standards.
Developers should treat these templates as starting points rather than production-ready solutions. The README explicitly states they are sample templates meant for learning and adaptation, not QuickStarts. Anyone adopting templates from this collection should review them to understand how they work, customize them for their specific needs, and verify they meet their organization's compliance requirements. The templates are written in YAML as the source of truth, with JSON versions auto-generated for compatibility. Contributors are expected to follow guidelines including testing for successful stack creation and deletion, removing hardcoded secrets, applying least-privilege principles to IAM resources, and running cfn-lint validation before submission.
The project maintains active community engagement through a dedicated Discord channel for CloudFormation discussions. Pull requests are reviewed by AWS organization members who may suggest modifications before acceptance. The submission process requires contributors to organize templates in appropriate folders, run test scripts to validate correctness, and ensure any Lambda function code passes linting checks. The emphasis on human readability, security practices, and comprehensive testing reflects a structured approach to maintaining a reliable template library.
