Select your cookie preferences

We use essential cookies and similar tools that are necessary to provide our site and services. We use performance cookies to collect anonymous statistics, so we can understand how customers use our site and make improvements. Essential cookies cannot be deactivated, but you can choose “Customize” or “Decline” to decline performance cookies.

If you agree, AWS and approved third parties will also use cookies to provide useful site features, remember your preferences, and display relevant content, including relevant advertising. To accept or decline all non-essential cookies, choose “Accept” or “Decline.” To make more detailed choices, choose “Customize.”

Use AWS CloudShell to work with AWS Control Tower

Focus mode
Use AWS CloudShell to work with AWS Control Tower - AWS Control Tower

AWS CloudShell is an AWS service that facilitates working in the AWS CLI — it's a browser-based, pre-authenticated shell that you can launch directly from the AWS Management Console. There's no need to download or install command line tools. You can run AWS CLI commands for AWS Control Tower and other AWS services from your preferred shell (Bash, PowerShell or Z shell).

When you launch AWS CloudShell from the AWS Management Console, the AWS credentials you used to sign in to the console are available in a new shell session. You can skip entering your configuring credentials when you interact with AWS Control Tower and other AWS services, and you'll be using AWS CLI version 2, which is pre-installed on the shell's compute environment.You're pre-authenticated with AWS CloudShell.

Obtain IAM permissions for AWS CloudShell

AWS Identity and Access Management provides access management resources that allow administrators to grant permissions to IAM users and IAM Identity Center users for access to AWS CloudShell.

The quickest way for an administrator to grant access to users is through an AWS managed policy. An AWS managed policy is a standalone policy that's created and administered by AWS. The following AWS managed policy for CloudShell can be attached to IAM identities:

  • AWSCloudShellFullAccess: Grants permission to use AWS CloudShell with full access to all features.

If you want to limit the scope of actions that an IAM user or IAM Identity Center user can perform with AWS CloudShell, you can create a custom policy that uses the AWSCloudShellFullAccess managed policy as a template. For more information about limiting the actions that are available to users in CloudShell, see Managing AWS CloudShell access and usage with IAM policies in the AWS CloudShell User Guide.

Note

Your IAM identity also requires a policy that grants permission to make calls to AWS Control Tower. For more information, see Permissions required to use the AWS Control Tower console.

Launch AWS CloudShell

From the AWS Management Console, you can launch CloudShell by choosing the following options available on the navigation bar:

  • Choose the CloudShell icon.

  • Start typing "cloudshell" in Search box and then choose the CloudShell option.

Now that you've started CloudShell, you can enter any AWS CLI commands you require to work with AWS Control Tower. For example, you can check your AWS Config status.

On this page

PrivacySite termsCookie preferences
© 2025, Amazon Web Services, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved.