The 150+ checks we run before we trust an AWS account in production

150+ expert-verified checks to optimize your AWS environment and lower its total cost of ownership.
Buy the checklistGet the free sample (18 checks)

Written by Danny Steenman, AWS Community Builder, from a decade of AWS consulting work.

5/5 from 16 reviews onGoogle ReviewsGoogle Logo
This is fine meme in a server room
Where operations slip

Stop treating AWS operations as a background task.

Whether you're pre-launch or already running production workloads, ad-hoc operations turn into hidden fragility. Without a shared validation framework, your environment gets harder to change, audit and maintain.

  1. Unknown gaps

    Backup retention, encryption and logging gaps survive launch because nobody ran a repeatable review.

  2. Reactive incidents

    Without runbooks, every alert becomes a manual investigation and the team stays in hero mode.

  3. Configuration drift

    Ad-hoc changes pull environments away from their baseline, so audits get harder and security assumptions stop holding.

  4. Tribal knowledge

    Critical steps live in a few people's heads, which slows onboarding and breaks when responsibilities shift.

How teams use it

Standardize operational readiness before drift becomes expensive.

The checklist is a Notion workspace your team clones, filters, tags and extends with company-specific tasks. Every check carries its status, how to implement it and the AWS documentation behind it.

  1. One board for the whole team

    Checks move from not started to done where everyone can see them, not in another forgotten spreadsheet.

  2. Implementation notes on every check

    Each one says what to change and links the AWS documentation page that covers it.

  3. Organized by AWS service

    Work through Amazon EC2, Amazon RDS or Amazon VPC one service at a time instead of one unprioritized backlog.

  4. Mapped to Well-Architected pillars

    See which pillar each check supports, not just whether it is ticked off.

Choose your starting point

Try the workflow first, then buy the full operational playbook.

The free sample lets you inspect the structure and workflow. The full checklist is the complete operating system with all checks, documentation links, and ongoing updates.

Free sample

Inspect the structure before committing.

$0USD

Review a representative slice of the checklist, see how the dashboard works, and decide whether the full system fits your team's operating style.

  • Lifetime access
  • 18 starter checks
  • 3 AWS services covered
  • Interactive Notion dashboard
Get free sample

Complete checklist

Recommended

The recommended option for teams preparing to scale.

$150$30050% off

Get the full checklist, the shared dashboard workflow, and the service-by-service implementation notes that help teams move from reactive ops to a repeatable operating cadence.

  • Lifetime access
  • 150+ expert-verified checks
  • Coverage across your AWS footprint
  • Free quarterly updates
  • Implementation notes and linked guidance
Buy complete checklist

All prices are in USD. Secure payment via Lemon Squeezy.

Not quite the right fit?

Related services, and when to pick them

See all AWS services
Checklist FAQ

Common questions about
the operations checklist

I'm already running on AWS. Is this checklist still useful?

Absolutely. While it's perfect for pre-launch validation, many teams use it as a 'health check' for existing environments. It acts as a gap analysis tool to uncover missed optimizations, security risks, and configuration drift that may have accumulated over time.

Do you help with implementing the recommendations?

Yes it is possible to implement the recommendations, but that is offered as a consulting engagement. If you need help with that, please contact us on our contact page.

How does this differ from AWS documentation, and who is it for?

We distilled a decade of hands-on operations work into the highest-impact checks, complete with context and implementation guidance. Instead of combing through thousands of AWS pages, you get a prioritized, practical playbook that works whether you're an AWS beginner or an experienced platform lead.

How often is the checklist updated, and can we tailor it?

We refresh the Notion database quarterly to track AWS best-practice changes. Because it's your workspace, you can clone, tag, or add company-specific tasks, filter by service, and build views that match your operating model.

Does it apply beyond production, and what if we only use a few AWS services?

Use it to harden dev, staging, and production alike. The checklist is organized by service, so you can focus on the sections that match your footprint today while keeping the rest ready as your usage grows.

Want someone to run these checks with you?

Found gaps your team has no time to fix? In a free 30-minute call we look at your setup and tell you what to fix first.