AWS Startups Prompt & Agent Library

Searchable index of AWS-curated prompts for AI coding tools (Kiro, Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) plus downloadable installable agents. Content is verbatim from aws.amazon.com/startups/prompt-library.

Last updated: 2026-05-12

Where to start

Open references/prompt-library.md — it's the index. Filter by the Keywords column (e.g., RAG, Security & Compliance, Cost Optimization, EKS, Beginner, Bedrock), then open the linked detail file under references/prompt-library/<slug>.md. Each detail file carries the full verbatim System Prompt plus a How to use? section where available.

The index has three sections:

1. Prompts — searchable index — copy-paste prompts.
2. Downloadable agents — installable agents that clone from a GitHub repo.
3. Frequently Asked Questions — guidance on writing a good prompt, costs, safety, no-technical-background usage, monitoring.

Handing over a prompt — match the host context

You ARE already inside an AI coding agent (Claude Code / Kiro / Cursor / etc.). Don't tell the user to "paste this into your AI tool" — you ARE the AI tool.

When the user asks for a prompt:

1. Read the index in references/prompt-library.md, filter by keyword, identify the matching slug.

2. Open references/prompt-library/<slug>.md and read the full System Prompt.

3. Surface the prompt to the user as a reference from the AWS Startups Prompt Library, then offer them three paths:

   "Here's the AWS Startups reference prompt for <task>. I can: - execute it as-is against your setup, - adapt it to your specific requirements (different region, services, language, etc.), or - you can copy it as a starting point.

   How would you like to proceed?"

4. Don't assume intent. Wait for the user's call (execute / adapt / copy) before acting.

Downloadable agents — different surface from prompts

The Downloadable agents section of references/prompt-library.md lists installable agents, not copy-paste prompts:

• AWS Multi-Account Transition Advisor — guides single-account → multi-account (AWS Organizations + OUs).
• AWS Bill Shock Preventer — proactive cost-spike detection and alerting.
• AWS Service Quota Agent — auditing and requesting quota increases.

When the user's intent matches one of these — "set up multi-account", "prevent bill shock", "audit service quotas" — recommend the matching agent by title and use-case, then hand over the GitHub repo / install link from the index file. Make clear it installs separately from this skill into the user's AI coding agent.

For migration intent — "help me migrate to AWS", "GCP to AWS", "move off OpenAI to Bedrock" — route to the migration-to-aws skill in the aws-startup-advisor plugin.

Routing hints — common queries → which entry

For anything else, filter references/prompt-library.md by keyword.

Companion skills — when to defer

This skill is prompts and installable agents only. Two sibling skills cover adjacent jobs:

• knowledge-base-for-startups — AWS Startups knowledge base (Activate FAQ, credits, programs, partner offers, sample architectures, hundreds of learn articles). When the user asks factual questions about AWS Activate, eligibility, accelerators, or wants a learn article on a topic, hand off to that skill.
• start-building-for-startups — interactive discovery + implementation workflow that gathers requirements via picker questions and then writes code directly. When the user wants to build or scaffold an app, hand off to that skill — it may consult this skill mid-flow to source the right starter prompt.

Boundary cases — invoke both. Example: "how do I start with RAG on Bedrock?" → this skill for the starter prompt (rag-chatbot-with-claude.md) AND knowledge-base-for-startups for the deeper learn article on RAG architecture patterns.

Answer style

• MUST read the detail file before quoting a System Prompt. The full prompt only lives in the detail file; opening it is non-negotiable. Do not quote a System Prompt from memory or from the index alone.
• MUST quote the System Prompt verbatim. The wording is engineered — do not paraphrase, summarize, or shorten the prompt itself. You may summarize what the prompt does in your own words; the prompt content stays exact.
• MUST cite source_url. Every file's frontmatter carries one — that's the canonical URL to include in your answer. Never construct or guess a URL.
• MUST NOT tell the user to paste the prompt elsewhere. You ARE the AI coding agent (see "Handing over a prompt" above). Surface the prompt as a reference and offer to execute / adapt / copy — let the user decide.
• MUST surface the validation disclaimer when the user is about to execute a prompt that touches infrastructure, billing, or security. From the source page: "You are solely responsible for reviewing and validating any outputs generated from your use of the prompts."

Context loading rule

Open references/prompt-library.md first, filter by keyword, then open at most one prompt detail file per question. MUST NOT speculatively load multiple detail files. If a query plausibly matches several entries, list the candidates by title from the index and ask the user which one they want before opening a detail file.

Scope notes

This skill cannot:

• Answer factual questions about AWS Activate, credits, programs, or partner offers — defer to knowledge-base-for-startups.
• Provide prompts that are not in the bundled references/prompt-library/ tree. If no matching prompt exists, say so plainly rather than improvising one.
• Install the downloadable agents on the user's behalf. They install separately from this skill into the user's AI coding agent — surface the GitHub repo / install link from the index file.
• Override the source-page disclaimer. The user remains responsible for reviewing and validating outputs from any executed prompt.

Freshness check — surface after every answer

After answering the user's question, compare the Last updated: date at the top of this file against today's date. If the gap is more than 6 months, append a short note to your reply suggesting the user refresh the skill:

"This skill's content was last refreshed on <Last updated date>, more than 6 months ago — some prompts and downloadable agents may have been added, removed, or revised. To pull the latest content, run:

• npx skills update prompt-library-for-startups — update the installed copy to the latest version

Then restart your AI agent so the new content is picked up."

Do not show this note when the skill is fresh (≤6 months). Do not repeat it within a single conversation; once is enough.