AWS Step Functions workflow orchestration with state machines. Use when designing workflows, implementing error handling, configuring parallel execution, integrating with AWS services, or debugging executions.
View on GitHubitsmostafa/aws-agent-skills
aws-agent-skills
January 14, 2026
Select agents to install to:
npx add-skill https://github.com/itsmostafa/aws-agent-skills/blob/main//skills/step-functions/SKILL.md -a claude-code --skill step-functionsInstallation paths:
.claude/skills/step-functions/# AWS Step Functions
AWS Step Functions is a serverless orchestration service that lets you build and run workflows using state machines. Coordinate multiple AWS services into business-critical applications.
## 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
### Workflow Types
| Type | Description | Pricing |
|------|-------------|---------|
| **Standard** | Long-running, durable, exactly-once | Per state transition |
| **Express** | High-volume, short-duration | Per execution (time + memory) |
### State Types
| State | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| **Task** | Execute work (Lambda, API call) |
| **Choice** | Conditional branching |
| **Parallel** | Execute branches concurrently |
| **Map** | Iterate over array |
| **Wait** | Delay execution |
| **Pass** | Pass input to output |
| **Succeed** | End successfully |
| **Fail** | End with failure |
### Amazon States Language (ASL)
JSON-based language for defining state machines.
## Common Patterns
### Simple Lambda Workflow
```json
{
"Comment": "Process order workflow",
"StartAt": "ValidateOrder",
"States": {
"ValidateOrder": {
"Type": "Task",
"Resource": "arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:123456789012:function:ValidateOrder",
"Next": "ProcessPayment"
},
"ProcessPayment": {
"Type": "Task",
"Resource": "arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:123456789012:function:ProcessPayment",
"Next": "FulfillOrder"
},
"FulfillOrder": {
"Type": "Task",
"Resource": "arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:123456789012:function:FulfillOrder",
"End": true
}
}
}
```
### Create State Machine
**AWS CLI:**
```bash
aws stepfunctions create-state-machine \
--name OrderWorkflow \
--definition file://workflow.json \
--role-arn arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/StepFunctionsRole \