• The AWS Systems Manager CloudWatch Dashboard will no longer be available after April 30, 2026. Customers can continue to use Amazon CloudWatch console to view, create, and manage their Amazon CloudWatch dashboards, just as they do today. For more information, see [Amazon CloudWatch Dashboard documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/CloudWatch_Dashboards.html).
# Creating a Parameter Store parameter using Tools for Windows PowerShell
You can use AWS Tools for Windows PowerShell to create `String`, `StringList`, and `SecureString` parameter types. After deleting a parameter, wait for at least 30 seconds to create a parameter with the same name.
Parameters can't be referenced or nested in the values of other parameters. You can't include `{{}}` or `{{ssm:parameter-name}}` in a parameter value.
**Note**
Parameters are only available in the AWS Region where they were created.
**Topics**
+ [Creating a String parameter (Tools for Windows PowerShell)](#param-create-ps-string)
+ [Creating a StringList parameter (Tools for Windows PowerShell)](#param-create-ps-stringlist)
+ [Creating a SecureString parameter (Tools for Windows PowerShell)](#param-create-ps-securestring)
## Creating a String parameter (Tools for Windows PowerShell)
1. Install and configure the AWS Tools for PowerShell (Tools for Windows PowerShell), if you haven't already.
For information, see [Installing the AWS Tools for PowerShell](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/powershell/latest/userguide/pstools-getting-set-up.html).
1. Run the following command to create a parameter that contains a plain text value. Replace each *example resource placeholder* with your own information.
```
Write-SSMParameter `
-Name "parameter-name" `
-Value "parameter-value" `
-Type "String"
```
-or-
Run the following command to create a parameter that contains an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) ID as the parameter value.
**Note**
To create a parameter with a tag, create the service.model.tag before hand as a variable. Here is an example.
```
$tag = New-Object Amazon.SimpleSystemsManagement.Model.Tag
$tag.Key = "tag-key"
$tag.Value = "tag-value"
```
```
Write-SSMParameter `
-Name "parameter-name" `
-Value "an-AMI-id" `
-Type "String" `
-DataType "aws:ec2:image" `
-Tags $tag
```
The `-DataType` option must be specified only if you are creating a parameter that contains an AMI ID. For all other parameters, the default data type is `text`. For more information, see [Using native parameter support in Parameter Store for Amazon Machine Image IDs](parameter-store-ec2-aliases.md).
Here is an example that uses a parameter hierarchy.
```
Write-SSMParameter `
-Name "/IAD/Web/SQL/IPaddress" `
-Value "99.99.99.999" `
-Type "String" `
-Tags $tag
```
1. Run the following command to verify the details of the parameter.
```
(Get-SSMParameterValue -Name "the-parameter-name-you-specified").Parameters
```
## Creating a StringList parameter (Tools for Windows PowerShell)
1. Install and configure the AWS Tools for PowerShell (Tools for Windows PowerShell), if you haven't already.
For information, see [Installing the AWS Tools for PowerShell](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/powershell/latest/userguide/pstools-getting-set-up.html).
1. Run the following command to create a StringList parameter. Replace each *example resource placeholder* with your own information.
**Note**
To create a parameter with a tag, create the service.model.tag before hand as a variable. Here is an example.
```
$tag = New-Object Amazon.SimpleSystemsManagement.Model.Tag
$tag.Key = "tag-key"
$tag.Value = "tag-value"
```
```
Write-SSMParameter `
-Name "parameter-name" `
-Value "a-comma-separated-list-of-values" `
-Type "StringList" `
-Tags $tag
```
If successful, the command returns the version number of the parameter.
Here is an example.
```
Write-SSMParameter `
-Name "stringlist-parameter" `
-Value "Milana,Mariana,Mark,Miguel" `
-Type "StringList" `
-Tags $tag
```
**Note**
Items in a `StringList` must be separated by a comma (,). You can't use other punctuation or special characters to escape items in the list. If you have a parameter value that requires a comma, then use the `String` type.
1. Run the following command to verify the details of the parameter.
```
(Get-SSMParameterValue -Name "the-parameter-name-you-specified").Parameters
```
## Creating a SecureString parameter (Tools for Windows PowerShell)
Before you create a `SecureString` parameter, read about the requirements for this type of parameter. For more information, see [Creating a SecureString parameter using the AWS CLI](param-create-cli.md#param-create-cli-securestring).
**Important**
Only the *value* of a `SecureString` parameter is encrypted. Parameter names, descriptions, and other properties aren't encrypted.
**Important**
Parameter Store only supports [symmetric encryption KMS keys](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/kms/latest/developerguide/symm-asymm-choose-key-spec.html#symmetric-cmks). You can't use an [asymmetric encryption KMS key](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/kms/latest/developerguide/symmetric-asymmetric.html) to encrypt your parameters. For help determining whether a KMS key is symmetric or asymmetric, see [Identifying symmetric and asymmetric KMS keys](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/kms/latest/developerguide/find-symm-asymm.html) in the *AWS Key Management Service Developer Guide*
1. Install and configure the AWS Tools for PowerShell (Tools for Windows PowerShell), if you haven't already.
For information, see [Installing the AWS Tools for PowerShell](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/powershell/latest/userguide/pstools-getting-set-up.html).
1. Run the following command to create a parameter. Replace each *example resource placeholder* with your own information.
**Note**
To create a parameter with a tag, first create the service.model.tag as a variable. Here is an example.
```
$tag = New-Object Amazon.SimpleSystemsManagement.Model.Tag
$tag.Key = "tag-key"
$tag.Value = "tag-value"
```
```
Write-SSMParameter `
-Name "parameter-name" `
-Value "parameter-value" `
-Type "SecureString" `
-KeyId "an AWS KMS key ID, an AWS KMS key ARN, an alias name, or an alias ARN" `
-Tags $tag
```
If successful, the command returns the version number of the parameter.
**Note**
To use the AWS managed key assigned to your account, remove the `-KeyId` parameter from the command.
Here is an example that uses an obfuscated name (3l3vat3131) for a password parameter and an AWS managed key.
```
Write-SSMParameter `
-Name "/Finance/Payroll/3l3vat3131" `
-Value "P@sSwW)rd" `
-Type "SecureString"`
-Tags $tag
```
1. Run the following command to verify the details of the parameter.
```
(Get-SSMParameterValue -Name "the-parameter-name-you-specified" –WithDecryption $true).Parameters
```
By default, all `SecureString` values are displayed as cipher-text. To decrypt a `SecureString` value, a user must have permission to call the AWS KMS [Decrypt](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/kms/latest/APIReference/API_Decrypt.html) API operation. For information about configuring AWS KMS access control, see [Authentication and Access Control for AWS KMS](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/kms/latest/developerguide/control-access.html) in the *AWS Key Management Service Developer Guide*.
**Important**
If you change the KMS key alias for the KMS key used to encrypt a parameter, then you must also update the key alias the parameter uses to reference AWS KMS. This only applies to the KMS key alias; the key ID that an alias attaches to stays the same unless you delete the whole key.