aws-cdk

Best Practices

• Use L2 and L3 constructs over L1 (Cfn*) for better defaults and less boilerplate
• Define stack props interfaces for configuration injection
• Use cdk.Tags.of() for consistent resource tagging across all constructs
• Configure removal policies (RemovalPolicy.RETAIN) on stateful resources
• Use environment-aware stacks with explicit account and region props
• Export cross-stack values with CfnOutput and importValue for loose coupling
• Follow CDK construct naming conventions (PascalCase classes, camelCase props)
• Use aws-cdk-lib and constructs packages, not individual @aws-cdk/* v1 packages
• Store secrets in SSM Parameter Store or Secrets Manager, never in code
• Use cdk.Aspects for cross-cutting validations and compliance checks
• Set appropriate encryption on storage, queues, and topics by default
• Use grant* methods for IAM permissions instead of writing raw policies

Documentation Sources