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Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) is a developer toolkit to implement Serverless best practices and increase developer velocity.

You can use Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) in both TypeScript and JavaScript code bases.

Tip

Powertools for AWS Lambda is also available for Python, Java, and .NET

Support this project by becoming a reference customer, sharing your work, or using Layers ❤

You can choose to support us in three ways:

1) Become a reference customer. This gives us permission to list your company in our documentation.

2) Share your work. Blog posts, video, sample projects you used Powertools!

3) Use Lambda Layers, if possible. This helps us understand who uses Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) in a non-intrusive way, and helps us gain future investments for other Powertools for AWS Lambda languages.

When using Layers, you can add Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) as a devDependency to not impact the development process.

Install

You can install Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) using one of the following options:

Lambda Layer

As of now, Container Image deployment (OCI) or inline Lambda functions do not support Lambda Layers

Lambda Layer is a .zip file archive that can contain additional code, pre-packaged dependencies, data, or configuration files. Layers promote code sharing and separation of responsibilities so that you can iterate faster on writing business logic.

You can include Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) Lambda Layer using AWS Lambda Console, or your preferred deployment framework.

Click to expand and copy any regional Lambda Layer ARN
Region Layer ARN
us-east-1 arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
us-east-2 arn:aws:lambda:us-east-2:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
us-west-1 arn:aws:lambda:us-west-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
us-west-2 arn:aws:lambda:us-west-2:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
ap-south-1 arn:aws:lambda:ap-south-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
ap-east-1 arn:aws:lambda:ap-east-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
ap-northeast-1 arn:aws:lambda:ap-northeast-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
ap-northeast-2 arn:aws:lambda:ap-northeast-2:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
ap-northeast-3 arn:aws:lambda:ap-northeast-3:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
ap-southeast-1 arn:aws:lambda:ap-southeast-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
ap-southeast-2 arn:aws:lambda:ap-southeast-2:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
ap-southeast-3 arn:aws:lambda:ap-southeast-3:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
ap-southeast-4 arn:aws:lambda:ap-southeast-4:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
eu-central-1 arn:aws:lambda:eu-central-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
eu-central-2 arn:aws:lambda:eu-central-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
eu-west-1 arn:aws:lambda:eu-west-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
eu-west-2 arn:aws:lambda:eu-west-2:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
eu-west-3 arn:aws:lambda:eu-west-3:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
eu-north-1 arn:aws:lambda:eu-north-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
eu-south-1 arn:aws:lambda:eu-south-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
eu-south-2 arn:aws:lambda:eu-south-2:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
ca-central-1 arn:aws:lambda:ca-central-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
sa-east-1 arn:aws:lambda:sa-east-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
af-south-1 arn:aws:lambda:af-south-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
me-south-1 arn:aws:lambda:me-south-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
il-central-1 arn:aws:lambda:il-central-1:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25📋
Click to expand and copy code snippets for popular frameworks 
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MyLambdaFunction:
  Type: AWS::Serverless::Function
    Properties:
      Layers:
        - !Sub arn:aws:lambda:${AWS::Region}:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25

If you use esbuild to bundle your code, make sure to exclude @aws-lambda-powertools from being bundled since the packages will be already present the Layer:

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MyLambdaFunction:
  Type: AWS::Serverless::Function
  Properties:
    ...
    Metadata: 
      # Manage esbuild properties
      BuildMethod: esbuild
      BuildProperties:
      Minify: true
      External:
        - '@aws-lambda-powertools/commons'
        - '@aws-lambda-powertools/logger'
        - '@aws-lambda-powertools/metrics'
        - '@aws-lambda-powertools/tracer'

Check the documentation for more details.

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functions:
  hello:
    handler: lambda_function.lambda_handler
    layers:
      - arn:aws:lambda:${aws:region}:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25

If you use esbuild to bundle your code, make sure to exclude @aws-lambda-powertools from being bundled since the packages will be already present the Layer:

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custom:
  esbuild:
    external:
      - '@aws-lambda-powertools/commons'
      - '@aws-lambda-powertools/logger'
      - '@aws-lambda-powertools/metrics'
      - '@aws-lambda-powertools/tracer'

Check the documentation for more details.

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import * as cdk from 'aws-cdk-lib';
import { Construct } from 'constructs';
import * as lambda from 'aws-cdk-lib/aws-lambda';

export class SampleFunctionWithLayer extends Construct {
  constructor(scope: Construct, id: string) {
    super(scope, id);

    // Create a Layer with Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript)
    const powertoolsLayer = lambda.LayerVersion.fromLayerVersionArn(
      this,
      'PowertoolsLayer',
      `arn:aws:lambda:${cdk.Stack.of(this).region}:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25`
    );

    new lambda.Function(this, 'Function', {
      runtime: lambda.Runtime.NODEJS_16_X,
      // Add the Layer to a Lambda function
      layers: [powertoolsLayer],
      code: lambda.Code.fromInline(`...`),
      handler: 'index.handler',
    });
  }
}

If you use esbuild to bundle your code, make sure to exclude @aws-lambda-powertools from being bundled since the packages will be already present the Layer:

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new awsLambdaNodejs.NodejsFunction(this, 'Function', {
  ...
  bundling: {
    externalModules: [
      '@aws-lambda-powertools/commons',
      '@aws-lambda-powertools/logger',
      '@aws-lambda-powertools/metrics',
      '@aws-lambda-powertools/tracer',
    ],
  }
});

Check the documentation for more details.

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terraform {
  required_version = "~> 1.0.5"
  required_providers {
    aws = "~> 3.50.0"
  }
}

provider "aws" {
  region  = "{aws::region}"
}

resource "aws_lambda_function" "test_lambda" {
  filename      = "lambda_function_payload.zip"
  function_name = "lambda_function_name"
  role          = ...
  handler       = "index.handler"
  runtime       = "nodejs16.x"
  layers        = ["arn:aws:lambda:{aws::region}:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25"]
  source_code_hash = filebase64sha256("lambda_function_payload.zip")
}

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import * as pulumi from '@pulumi/pulumi';
import * as aws from '@pulumi/aws';

const role = new aws.iam.Role('role', {
    assumeRolePolicy: aws.iam.assumeRolePolicyForPrincipal(aws.iam.Principals.LambdaPrincipal),
    managedPolicyArns: [aws.iam.ManagedPolicies.AWSLambdaBasicExecutionRole]
});

const lambdaFunction = new aws.lambda.Function('function', {
    layers: [
        pulumi.interpolate`arn:aws:lambda:${aws.getRegionOutput().name}:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25`
    ],
    code: new pulumi.asset.FileArchive('lambda_function_payload.zip'),
    tracingConfig: {
        mode: 'Active'
    },
    runtime: aws.lambda.Runtime.NodeJS16dX,
    handler: 'index.handler',
    role: role.arn,
    architectures: ['x86_64']
});

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# Create a new one with the layer
❯ amplify add function
? Select which capability you want to add: Lambda function (serverless function)
? Provide an AWS Lambda function name: <NAME-OF-FUNCTION>
? Choose the runtime that you want to use: NodeJS
? Do you want to configure advanced settings? Yes
...
? Do you want to enable Lambda layers for this function? Yes
? Enter up to 5 existing Lambda layer ARNs (comma-separated): arn:aws:lambda:{aws::region}:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25
❯ amplify push -y

# Updating an existing function and add the layer
❯ amplify update function
? Select the Lambda function you want to update test2
General information
- Name: <NAME-OF-FUNCTION>
? Which setting do you want to update? Lambda layers configuration
? Do you want to enable Lambda layers for this function? Yes
? Enter up to 5 existing Lambda layer ARNs (comma-separated): arn:aws:lambda:{aws::region}:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25
? Do you want to edit the local lambda function now? No

Using Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) via Lambda Layer? Simply add the Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) utilities you are using as a development dependency

Want to inspect the contents of the Layer?

Change {region} to your AWS region, e.g. eu-west-1

AWS CLI
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aws lambda get-layer-version-by-arn --arn arn:aws:lambda:{aws::region}:094274105915:layer:AWSLambdaPowertoolsTypeScript:25 --region {region}

The pre-signed URL to download this Lambda Layer will be within Location key.

Instrumentation

You can instrument your code with Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) in three different ways:

  • Middy middleware. It is the best choice if your existing code base relies on the Middy 3.x middleware engine. Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) offers compatible Middy middleware to make this integration seamless.
  • Method decorator. Use TypeScript method decorators if you prefer writing your business logic using TypeScript Classes. If you aren’t using Classes, this requires the most significant refactoring.
  • Manually. It provides the most granular control. It’s the most verbose approach, with the added benefit of no additional dependency and no refactoring to TypeScript Classes.

The examples in this documentation will feature all the approaches described above, when applicable.

Examples

The project's repository includes examples of how to instrument your functions both in AWS CDK and AWS SAM:

If instead you want to see Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) in a slightly more complex use case, check the Serverless TypeScript Demo. You can find instructions on how to deploy and load test this application in the repository.

Features

Core utilities such as Tracing, Logging, and Metrics will be available across all Powertools for AWS Lambda languages. Additional utilities are subjective to each language ecosystem and customer demand.

Utility Description
Tracer Decorators and utilities to trace Lambda function handlers, and both synchronous and asynchronous functions
Logger Structured logging made easier, and a middleware to enrich structured logging with key Lambda context details
Metrics Custom Metrics created asynchronously via CloudWatch Embedded Metric Format (EMF)
Parameters High-level functions to retrieve one or more parameters from AWS SSM Parameter Store, AWS Secrets Manager, AWS AppConfig, and Amazon DynamoDB
Idempotency Class method decorator, Middy middleware, and function wrapper to make your Lambda functions idempotent and prevent duplicate execution based on payload content.
Batch Processing Utility to handle partial failures when processing batches from Amazon SQS, Amazon Kinesis Data Streams, and Amazon DynamoDB Streams.

Environment variables

Info

Explicit parameters take precedence over environment variables

Environment variable Description Utility Default
POWERTOOLS_SERVICE_NAME Set service name used for tracing namespace, metrics dimension and structured logging All service_undefined
POWERTOOLS_METRICS_NAMESPACE Set namespace used for metrics Metrics default_namespace
POWERTOOLS_TRACE_ENABLED Explicitly disables tracing Tracer true
POWERTOOLS_TRACER_CAPTURE_RESPONSE Capture Lambda or method return as metadata. Tracer true
POWERTOOLS_TRACER_CAPTURE_ERROR Capture Lambda or method exception as metadata. Tracer true
POWERTOOLS_TRACER_CAPTURE_HTTPS_REQUESTS Capture HTTP(s) requests as segments. Tracer true
POWERTOOLS_LOGGER_LOG_EVENT Log incoming event Logger false
POWERTOOLS_LOGGER_SAMPLE_RATE Debug log sampling Logger 0
POWERTOOLS_DEV Increase JSON indentation to ease debugging when running functions locally or in a non-production environment Logger false
POWERTOOLS_LOG_LEVEL Sets how verbose Logger should be, from the most verbose to the least verbose (no logs) Logger INFO
POWERTOOLS_PARAMETERS_MAX_AGE Adjust how long values are kept in cache (in seconds) Parameters 5
POWERTOOLS_PARAMETERS_SSM_DECRYPT Set whether to decrypt or not values retrieved from AWS Systems Manager Parameters Store Parameters false
POWERTOOLS_IDEMPOTENCY_DISABLED Disable the Idempotency logic without changing your code, useful for testing Idempotency false

Each Utility page provides information on example values and allowed values.

How to support Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript)?

Becoming a reference customer

Knowing which companies are using this library is important to help prioritize the project internally. If your company is using Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript), you can request to have your name and logo added to the README file by raising a Support Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) (become a reference) issue.

The following companies, among others, use Powertools:

Sharing your work

Share what you did with Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) 💞💞. Blog post, workshops, presentation, sample apps and others. Check out what the community has already shared about Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) here.

Using Lambda Layer

This helps us understand who uses Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) in a non-intrusive way, and helps us gain future investments for other Powertools for AWS Lambda languages. When using Layers, you can add Powertools for AWS Lambda (TypeScript) as a dev dependency (or as part of your virtual env) to not impact the development process.

Tenets

These are our core principles to guide our decision making.

  • AWS Lambda only. We optimise for AWS Lambda function environments and supported runtimes only. Utilities might work with web frameworks and non-Lambda environments, though they are not officially supported.
  • Eases the adoption of best practices. The main priority of the utilities is to facilitate best practices adoption, as defined in the AWS Well-Architected Serverless Lens; all other functionality is optional.
  • Keep it lean. Additional dependencies are carefully considered for security and ease of maintenance, and prevent negatively impacting startup time.
  • We strive for backwards compatibility. New features and changes should keep backwards compatibility. If a breaking change cannot be avoided, the deprecation and migration process should be clearly defined.
  • We work backwards from the community. We aim to strike a balance of what would work best for 80% of customers. Emerging practices are considered and discussed via Requests for Comment (RFCs)
  • Progressive. Utilities are designed to be incrementally adoptable for customers at any stage of their Serverless journey. They follow language idioms and their community’s common practices.
Last update: 2023-11-16