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AWS API Gateway

AWS API Gateway for REST and HTTP API management. Use when creating APIs, configuring integrations, setting up authorization, managing stages, implementing rate limiting, or troubleshooting API issues.

DevOps & Cloud|v1|Updated 5/18/2026|GitHub source
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# AWS API Gateway

Amazon API Gateway is a fully managed service for creating, publishing, and securing APIs at any scale. Supports REST APIs, HTTP APIs, and WebSocket APIs.

## Table of Contents

- [Core Concepts](#core-concepts)
- [Common Patterns](#common-patterns)
- [CLI Reference](#cli-reference)
- [Best Practices](#best-practices)
- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
- [References](#references)

## Core Concepts

### API Types

| Type | Description | Use Case |
|------|-------------|----------|
| **HTTP API** | Low-latency, cost-effective | Simple APIs, Lambda proxy |
| **REST API** | Full-featured, more control | Complex APIs, transformation |
| **WebSocket API** | Bidirectional communication | Real-time apps, chat |

### Key Components

- **Resources**: URL paths (/users, /orders/{id})
- **Methods**: HTTP verbs (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
- **Integrations**: Backend connections (Lambda, HTTP, AWS services)
- **Stages**: Deployment environments (dev, prod)

### Integration Types

| Type | Description |
|------|-------------|
| **Lambda Proxy** | Pass-through to Lambda (recommended) |
| **Lambda Custom** | Transform request/response |
| **HTTP Proxy** | Pass-through to HTTP endpoint |
| **AWS Service** | Direct integration with AWS services |
| **Mock** | Return static response |

## Common Patterns

### Create HTTP API with Lambda

**AWS CLI:**

```bash
# Create HTTP API
aws apigatewayv2 create-api \
  --name my-api \
  --protocol-type HTTP \
  --target arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:123456789012:function:MyFunction

# Get API endpoint
aws apigatewayv2 get-api --api-id abc123 --query 'ApiEndpoint'
```

**SAM Template:**

```yaml
AWSTemplateFormatVersion: '2010-09-09'
Transform: AWS::Serverless-2016-10-31

Resources:
  MyApi:
    Type: AWS::Serverless::HttpApi
    Properties:
      StageName: prod

  MyFunction:
    Type: AWS::Serverless::Function
    Properties:
      Handler: app.handler
      Runtime: python3.12
      Events:
        ApiEvent:
          Type: HttpApi
          Properties:
            ApiId: !Ref MyApi
            Path: /items
            Method: GET
```

### Create REST API with Lambda Proxy

```bash
# Create REST API
aws apigateway create-rest-api \
  --name my-rest-api \
  --endpoint-configuration types=REGIONAL

API_ID=abc123

# Get root resource ID
ROOT_ID=$(aws apigateway get-resources --rest-api-id $API_ID --query 'items[0].id' --output text)

# Create resource
aws apigateway create-resource \
  --rest-api-id $API_ID \
  --parent-id $ROOT_ID \
  --path-part items

RESOURCE_ID=xyz789

# Create method
aws apigateway put-method \
  --rest-api-id $API_ID \
  --resource-id $RESOURCE_ID \
  --http-method GET \
  --authorization-type NONE

# Create Lambda integration
aws apigateway put-integration \
  --rest-api-id $API_ID \
  --resource-id $RESOURCE_ID \
  --http-method GET \
  --type AWS_PROXY \
  --integration-http-method POST \
  --uri arn:aws:apigateway:us-east-1:lambda:path/2015-03-31/functions/arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:123456789012:function:MyFunction/invocations

# Deploy to stage
aws apigateway create-deployment \
  --rest-api-id $API_ID \
  --stage-name prod
```

### Lambda Handler for API Gateway

```python
import json

def handler(event, context):
    # HTTP API event
    http_method = event.get('requestContext', {}).get('http', {}).get('method')
    path = event.get('rawPath', '')
    query_params = event.get('queryStringParameters', {})
    body = event.get('body', '')

    if body and event.get('isBase64Encoded'):
        import base64
        body = base64.b64decode(body).decode('utf-8')

    # Process request
    response_body = {'message': 'Success', 'path': path}

    return {
        'statusCode': 200,
        'headers': {
            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
        },
        'body': json.dumps(response_body)
    }
```

### Configure CORS

**HTTP API:**

```bash
aws apigatewayv2 update-api \
  --api-id abc123 \
  --cors-configuration '{
    "AllowOrigins": ["https://example.com"],
    "AllowMethods": ["GET", "POST", "PUT", "DELETE"],
    "AllowHeaders": ["Content-Type", "Authorization"],
    "MaxAge": 86400
  }'
```

**REST API:**

```bash
# Enable CORS on resource
aws apigateway put-method \
  --rest-api-id $API_ID \
  --resource-id $RESOURCE_ID \
  --http-method OPTIONS \
  --authorization-type NONE

aws apigateway put-integration \
  --rest-api-id $API_ID \
  --resource-id $RESOURCE_ID \
  --http-method OPTIONS \
  --type MOCK \
  --request-templates '{"application/json": "{\"statusCode\": 200}"}'

aws apigateway put-method-response \
  --rest-api-id $API_ID \
  --resource-id $RESOURCE_ID \
  --http-method OPTIONS \
  --status-code 200 \
  --response-parameters '{
    "method.response.header.Access-Control-Allow-Headers": true,
    "method.response.header.Access-Control-Allow-Methods": true,
    "method.response.header.Access-Control-Allow-Origin": true
  }'

aws apigateway put-integration-response \
  --rest-api-id $API_ID \
  --resource-id $RESOURCE_ID \
  --http-method OPTIONS \
  --status-code 200 \
  --response-parameters '{
    "method.response.header.Access-Control-Allow-Headers": "'\''Content-Type,Authorization'\''",
    "method.response.header.Access-Control-Allow-Methods": "'\''GET,POST,PUT,DELETE,OPTIONS'\''",
    "method.response.header.Access-Control-Allow-Origin": "'\''*'\''"
  }'
```

### JWT Authorization (HTTP API)

```bash
aws apigatewayv2 create-authorizer \
  --api-id abc123 \
  --name jwt-authorizer \
  --authorizer-type JWT \
  --identity-source '$request.header.Authorization' \
  --jwt-configuration '{
    "Issuer": "https://cognito-idp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/us-east-1_abc123",
    "Audience": ["client-id"]
  }'
```

## CLI Reference

### HTTP API (apigatewayv2)

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `aws apigatewayv2 create-api` | Create API |
| `aws apigatewayv2 get-apis` | List APIs |
| `aws apigatewayv2 create-route` | Create route |
| `aws apigatewayv2 create-integration` | Create integration |
| `aws apigatewayv2 create-stage` | Create stage |
| `aws apigatewayv2 create-authorizer` | Create authorizer |

### REST API (apigateway)

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `aws apigateway create-rest-api` | Create API |
| `aws apigateway get-rest-apis` | List APIs |
| `aws apigateway create-resource` | Create resource |
| `aws apigateway put-method` | Create method |
| `aws apigateway put-integration` | Create integration |
| `aws apigateway create-deployment` | Deploy API |

## Best Practices

### Performance

- **Use HTTP APIs** for simple use cases (70% cheaper, lower latency)
- **Enable caching** for REST APIs
- **Use regional endpoints** unless global distribution needed
- **Implement pagination** for list endpoints

### Security

- **Use authorization** on all endpoints
- **Enable WAF** for REST APIs
- **Use API keys** for rate limiting (not authentication)
- **Enable access logging**
- **Use HTTPS only**

### Reliability

- **Set up throttling** to protect backends
- **Configure timeout** appropriately
- **Use canary deployments** for updates
- **Monitor with CloudWatch**

## Troubleshooting

### 403 Forbidden

**Causes:**
- Missing authorization
- Invalid API key
- WAF blocking
- Resource policy denying

**Debug:**

```bash
# Check API key
aws apigateway get-api-key --api-key abc123 --include-value

# Check authorizer
aws apigatewayv2 get-authorizer --api-id abc123 --authorizer-id xyz789
```

### 502 Bad Gateway

**Causes:**
- Lambda error
- Integration timeout
- Invalid response format

**Lambda response format:**

```python
# Correct format
return {
    'statusCode': 200,
    'headers': {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
    'body': json.dumps({'message': 'success'})
}

# Wrong - missing statusCode
return {'message': 'success'}
```

### 504 Gateway Timeout

**Causes:**
- Backend timeout (Lambda max 29 seconds for REST API)
- Integration timeout too short

**Solutions:**
- Increase Lambda timeout
- Use async processing for long operations
- Increase integration timeout (max 29s for REST, 30s for HTTP)

### CORS Errors

**Debug:**
- Check OPTIONS method exists
- Verify headers in response
- Check origin matches allowed origins

## References

- [API Gateway Developer Guide](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/apigateway/latest/developerguide/)
- [API Gateway REST API Reference](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/apigateway/latest/api/)
- [API Gateway CLI Reference](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/apigateway/)
- [boto3 API Gateway](https://boto3.amazonaws.com/v1/documentation/api/latest/reference/services/apigateway.html)
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