AWS CLI — EC2 & Instances Cheat Sheet 2026

AWS CLI EC2 & Instances Cheat Sheet is the complete quick-reference of AWS CLI EC2 & Instances commands grouped by function. Copy any command with one click and find what you need with Ctrl+F in under 3 seconds.

EC2 & Instances

Action	Command	Useful flags
Ec2 describe-instances	`aws ec2 describe-instances help`	`-instances`
Ec2 describe-instances	`aws ec2 describe-instances --instance-ids i-5203422c`	`--instance-ids -instances`
Ec2 describe-instances	`aws ec2 describe-instances --filters "Name=instance-type,Values=m1.small"`	`--filters -instances -type`
Ec2 describe-instances	`aws ec2 describe-instances --filters "Name=tag-key,Values=Owner"`	`--filters -instances -key`
Ec2 describe-instances	`aws ec2 describe-instances`	`-instances`
Ec2 start-instances	`aws ec2 start-instances --instance-ids i-1234567890abcdef0`	`--instance-ids -instances`
Ec2 stop-instances	`aws ec2 stop-instances --instance-ids i-1234567890abcdef0`	`--instance-ids -instances`
Ec2 run-instances	`aws ec2 run-instances --image-id ami-12345 --count 1 --instance-type t2.micro --key-name my-key --security-groups my-sg`	`--count --image-id --instance-type --key-name`
Ec2 start-instances	`aws ec2 start-instances --instance-ids i-xxxxxxxxxxxxx`	`--instance-ids -instances -xxxxxxxxxxxxx`
Ec2 stop-instances	`aws ec2 stop-instances --instance-ids i-xxxxxxxxxxxxx`	`--instance-ids -instances -xxxxxxxxxxxxx`
Ec2 terminate-instances	`aws ec2 terminate-instances --instance-ids i-xxxxxxxxxxxxx`	`--instance-ids -instances -xxxxxxxxxxxxx`
Ec2 help	`aws ec2 help`

⚠️ Dangerous / Destructive Commands

These commands are irreversible. Verify your environment (dev/staging vs prod) before running them.

Action	Command	Warning
⚠️ Destroy ⚠️	`terraform destroy -auto-approve`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Delete	`kubectl delete namespace production`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Prune ⚠️	`docker system prune -af --volumes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Delete	`pvesh delete /nodes/{node}/qemu/{vmid}`	Irreversible — verify the target before running
⚠️ Delete	`az group delete --name MyResourceGroup --yes`	Irreversible — verify the target before running

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between EC2 & Instances and the other groups?

Each group in this AWS CLI cheat sheet covers a distinct area. EC2 & Instances focuses on its specific scope, while the other groups and the remaining groups cover networking, storage, security and diagnostics respectively.

How do I check the installed AWS CLI version?

Run the version command (usually aws version or aws --version). The output shows the client and, when applicable, the server version.

Why does AWS CLI return ‘permission denied’?

A ‘permission denied’ error in AWS CLI usually means the current user lacks sufficient privileges or credentials are not configured. Check: (1) assigned IAM/RBAC roles, (2) an active authentication context via the corresponding login command.

How do I filter AWS CLI output by status or name?

Use flags such as --filter, --selector or --query depending on the tool. You can also pipe into grep or jq to process JSON:

aws list | grep RUNNING

What is the fastest way to debug a AWS CLI error?

Add the verbose flag (--verbose, -v or --debug) to the failing command. This reveals the underlying HTTP/API calls and the full error response body.

Official sources & references

Commands cross-checked against vendor documentation and high-authority repositories: