Real-time CloudWatch Logging for Lambda in VS Code

Introduction to Live Tail for Lambda in VS Code

On March 4, 2025, AWS added support for CloudWatch log live tail for Lambda in VS Code.

Keep in consideration that CloudWatch live tail is not a new feature, however, tailing this log in VS Code for a selected Lambda function is the new feature added!

In this article, I will demonstrate the steps required to configure and use the CloudWatch live tail feature in VS Code.

Let’s look at the diagram!

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Introduction to Live Tail for Lambda in VS Code

On March 4, 2025, AWS announced support for Live Tail for Lambda in VS Code. This feature allows developers to monitor function execution in real-time. Since an IDE is where the code resides, having the ability to view logs without leaving the IDE is a productivity-enhancing capability. This feature improves debugging support and enhances overall development efficiency.

Install AWS Toolkit for VS Code

AWS tool kit is a VS Code extension. This tool kit supports many features like connecting with AWS account and services like S3, Lambda, and others. I will first configure this toolkit.

To configure AWS tool kit:

1. Start VS Code IDE
2. Navigate to the Extension Marketplace
3. Look for AWS Toolkit and install it
4. Once this extension is installed, configure the extension by adding AWS credential

[Image: Image awstoolkit]

Connect VS Code to AWS

If this is your first time setting up the AWS Toolkit, you need to select a profile to connect to your AWS account.

1. Click on the AWS icon and select Connect to AWS.
2. Choose your AWS profile.
3. Ensure the correct AWS Region is selected for your Lambda function.

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Enable Live Log Tail

Let’s enable Live Log Tail.

1. In VS Code, navigate to the AWS Explorer.
2. Locate your AWS Lambda function.
3. Right-click the function and select Tail logs.
4. Provide a pattern to filter the logs or press Enter to tail all logs.
5. This will start streaming logs directly from Amazon CloudWatch into VS Code.

Validate Live Log Tail

Now that we have connectivity and Live Tail streaming enabled, let’s validate it by invoking a Lambda function that will publish logs to CloudWatch Logs.

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Conclusion

In this article, I demonstrated how to configure CloudWatch Live Tail Logs for an AWS Lambda function in VS Code.

FAQs

Q: What is CloudWatch Live Tail for Lambda in VS Code?
A: CloudWatch Live Tail for Lambda in VS Code is a feature that allows developers to monitor function execution in real-time, directly from the VS Code IDE.

Q: How do I install AWS Toolkit for VS Code?
A: You can install AWS Toolkit for VS Code by navigating to the Extension Marketplace, searching for AWS Toolkit, and installing it.

Q: How do I connect VS Code to AWS?
A: To connect VS Code to AWS, click on the AWS icon, select Connect to AWS, choose your AWS profile, and ensure the correct AWS Region is selected for your Lambda function.

Q: How do I enable Live Log Tail?
A: To enable Live Log Tail, navigate to the AWS Explorer, locate your AWS Lambda function, right-click the function and select Tail logs, and provide a pattern to filter the logs or press Enter to tail all logs.