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Connect AWS Knowledge to VS Code

Give VS Code governed access to AWS Knowledge’s 5 tools through Runlayer, with identity, policy, scanning, and audit on every call.

Set up

Add AWS Knowledge to VS Code in four steps

Admins approve the server once. Everyone in VS Code then gets it through the same governed connection.

  1. 1

    Add AWS Knowledge to Runlayer

    AWS Knowledge isn’t in the Runlayer catalog yet, so an admin adds it by its MCP server URL.

    Adding a connector manually
  2. 2

    Connect VS Code to Runlayer

    Runlayer’s CLI installs the Runlayer Plugin natively in VS Code; users can also add it over MCP. With direct tool listing turned on for your deployment, AWS Knowledge’s 5 tools show up in VS Code’s own tool list (VS Code 1.103 or newer).

    VS Code setup guide
  3. 3

    Sign in to AWS Knowledge

    Sign in the way AWS Knowledge requires. Runlayer holds the credentials so they stay out of the client’s configuration.

  4. 4

    Use AWS Knowledge from VS Code

    AWS Knowledge’s approved tools appear in VS Code. Every call is checked against policy and recorded.

Tools

5 AWS Knowledge tools in VS Code

Runlayer policy decides which of these VS Code users can call.

  • Get regional availability

    AWS resource availability per region.

  • List regions

    Retrieve a list of all AWS regions.

  • Read documentation

    Fetch full AWS doc pages as markdown.

  • Retrieve skill

    Retrieve an AWS skill (workflows, references).

  • Search documentation

    AWS docs search.

Control

What Runlayer can see and stop in VS Code

Some controls apply to every client at the gateway. Others depend on what VS Code exposes to Runlayer.

  • Gateway policy (available)

    Every AWS Knowledge call from VS Code passes through Runlayer, where your policies can allow, alert, mask, or block it.

  • Audit trail (available)

    Each call is recorded with the user, VS Code as the client, the tool, and the policy and scanner decisions.

  • Client hooks (available)

    Capture supported prompts, reasoning, local and MCP tool calls, responses, and scanner decisions in real time.

  • Stop a call before it runs (available)

    Runlayer can deny a tool call before VS Code runs it.

  • Block output after it runs (available)

    Runlayer can block a tool’s output before VS Code’s model sees it.

  • Redact output in place (available)

    Runlayer can mask sensitive parts of a tool’s output in VS Code and pass the rest through.

Frequently asked questions

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