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AWS CLI EKS & Kubernetes Cheat Sheet 2026

2 min read

AWS CLI — EKS & Kubernetes Cheat Sheet 2026

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

EKS & Kubernetes

Action Command Useful flags
Create an EKS Cluster 
aws eks create-cluster --name <cluster_name> --role-arn <eks_service_role_arn> --resources-vpc-config subnetIds=<subnet_ids>,securityGroupIds=<security_group_ids>
 --name --role-arn --resources-vpc-config
Update kubeconfig to connect to the EKS Cluster 
aws eks update-kubeconfig --name <cluster_name>
 --name
List available EKS clusters 
aws eks list-clusters
Describe EKS cluster details 
aws eks describe-cluster --name <cluster_name>
 --name
Delete an EKS Cluster 
aws eks delete-cluster --name <cluster_name>
 --name
List nodegroups in an EKS cluster 
aws eks list-nodegroups --cluster-name <cluster_name>
 --cluster-name
Describe nodegroup details 
aws eks describe-nodegroup --cluster-name <cluster_name> --nodegroup-name <nodegroup_name>
 --cluster-name --nodegroup-name

⚠️ Dangerous / Destructive Commands

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

Action Command Warning
⚠️ Eks delete-cluster 
aws eks delete-cluster --name <cluster_name>
 Irreversible — verify the target before running

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between EKS & Kubernetes and the other groups?

Each group in this AWS CLI cheat sheet covers a distinct area. EKS & Kubernetes 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: