Prevent Wrong Account Operations — AWS Official Header Color Feature Now Available

Haven't developers managing multiple AWS accounts been wanting this feature for a while? On Aug 27, 2025, a feature was added to the AWS Management Console that now allows environment identification, which we previously relied on Chrome extensions for, to be achieved with official AWS functionality.

https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2025/08/aws-management-console-assigning-color-aws-account/

⚠️ Note: Some images contain Japanese text.

👋 What is the Account Display Settings Feature?

This feature allows you to add color to the AWS Management Console header, making it easier to visually identify which account you're currently logged into.

This is particularly valuable when switching between development, staging, and production environments, helping prevent accidental operations on the wrong account.

For detailed information, refer to the official AWS documentation:
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/awsconsolehelpdocs/latest/gsg/getting-started-uxc.html

🔧 How to Configure It

When you log into the Management Console, you might briefly see this notification:

You can click "Try it now" or follow these steps:

1. Click "Account" in the top-right corner of the AWS Management Console
2. Select "Account display settings"
3. Choose your preferred color and save

Required Permissions

To use this feature, you need appropriate IAM permissions. If you lack sufficient permissions, you'll see errors like these:

Required permissions:

• uxc:GetAccountColor - Retrieve current color settings
• uxc:PutAccountColor - Modify color settings

Example IAM policy:

{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Action": [
                "uxc:GetAccountColor",
                "uxc:PutAccountColor"
            ],
            "Resource": "arn:aws:uxc:*:*:/v1/account-color"
        }
    ]
}

9 Color Options Available

The default state is "None (Gray)". You can choose from these 9 colors:

• Red
• Orange
• Yellow
• Green
• Teal
• Light Blue
• Dark Blue
• Purple
• Pink

🔍 Visual Examples

Here's how each color appears when configured:

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Teal

Light Blue

Dark Blue

Purple

Pink

⚠️ Important Note

Role Switching Behavior

When switching roles, if the target role lacks proper permissions, the color will revert to default gray.

Ensure the target role has the necessary permissions for color settings.

Some AWS accounts cannot be configured

As of August 27, 2025, it appears that some accounts can and cannot configure "Account Visibility Settings."

Comparison with Chrome Extensions

Traditional Chrome extensions could color both header and footer areas:

While AWS's official feature currently only supports header coloring, it offers the reliability of an official feature and eliminates the need for extension installations.

📝 Conclusion

You no longer need third-party Chrome extensions for AWS console header coloring. While more subtle than extensions, this official feature offers the reliability of an official AWS capability and eliminates the need for extension installations.
This should be quite effective for preventing operational errors when working across multiple accounts, don't you think?