Overview
The AWS CloudFormation Starter Kit provides a batteries-included repository for managing infrastructure with declarative templates. It pairs Rain-powered deployments with opinionated scripts, validation tooling, and GitHub Actions so you can standardize how environments move from pull request to production.
Key features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| One-command setup | Provision script scaffolds environment folders and workflows |
| Rain-powered deploys | Fast, reproducible deployments with the Rain CLI |
| Secure CI/CD | GitHub Actions with OIDC (no long-lived credentials) |
| Security scanning | cfn-lint and Checkov for validation and compliance |
| Multi-environment | Separate parameter files per environment |
What's inside
- CloudFormation templates under
templates/with matching parameter folders per environment - Automation scripts for provisioning, validation, and deployment in
scripts/ - GitHub Actions workflows for linting, security scanning, and Rain-based deploys
- Documentation and examples to extend the starter kit with your own stacks
Who is this for
Infrastructure or platform engineers who prefer managing AWS with native CloudFormation but want modern CI/CD, guardrails, and repeatable deployments across accounts.
Documentation map
| Section | What you'll learn |
|---|---|
| Install | Prerequisites, provisioning helpers, and OIDC stack deployment |
| Guides | Day-to-day workflows for local development and continuous delivery |
| Configuration | Project structure, environment strategy, and template patterns |
| Reference | Template specs, parameter packs, scripts, and workflow details |
Get started
Head to the Install guide to set up your environment. Then explore the Guides once you have the bootstrap stack running.