Amazon Q Developer: Your Complete Guide to AI-Powered Development

Picture this: it's 2 AM, your AWS Lambda function is throwing cryptic errors, Stack Overflow has no answers, and you're drowning in IAM policies. We've all been there, wishing we had a senior engineer who could explain these mysteries and help us write better code.

That wish isn't so far-fetched anymore. AI is rapidly transforming how we build software, automating repetitive tasks and letting us focus on what truly matters - solving meaningful problems and shipping faster. But here's the thing: most AI coding tools feel generic, struggling with AWS-specific contexts and cloud-native workflows.

That's where Amazon Q Developer comes in. Unlike other AI assistants that treat AWS as an afterthought, Q Developer was built from the ground up for developers working in the cloud ecosystem.

What Is Amazon Q Developer?

First introduced at re:Invent 2023, Amazon Q felt like a promising but unfinished product. Fast forward to re:Invent 2024, and everything changed. Amazon Q returned with major upgrades and production-ready polish that made it feel like a genuine game-changer.

Built on Amazon Bedrock and powered by 17 years of AWS expertise, Amazon Q comes in two flavors:

• Amazon Q Developer: Your coding companion for software development
• Amazon Q Business: Enterprise productivity tool for teams and business automation

For developers, Q Developer is where the magic happens. It's specifically designed to understand AWS contexts, CLI commands, and cloud-native workflows - something generic AI tools often struggle with.

What makes Q Developer different:

• Code chat and intelligent assistance with AWS context
• Inline code completions that understand your cloud architecture
• Security vulnerability scanning with AWS best practices
• Code upgrades and modernization suggestions
• Real-time debugging and optimization help
• AWS architecture and resource guidance
• Available across IDEs, CLI, and GitHub workflows

It's not just another AI assistant - it's your cloud-savvy pair programmer that understands the intricacies of building on AWS.

Getting Started with Amazon Q in Your IDE

Ready to add an AI wingman to your development setup? The IDE integration is probably the most natural place to start since it plugs directly into your existing workflow.

Supported IDEs

Amazon Q works with the tools you're already using:

• Visual Studio Code
• JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.)
• Eclipse (Preview)
• Visual Studio (Windows only)

Make sure your IDE is updated before installing the extension - you'll want the latest version for the best experience.

Installation Process

The setup is surprisingly straightforward:

1. Install the Plugin: Download the Amazon Q extension from your IDE's marketplace

1. Choose Your Authentication: Pick between Builder ID (free, no AWS account needed) or IAM Identity Center (for enterprise teams)

1. Complete Browser Authentication: A quick browser flow to verify your identity

1. Start Coding: Once authenticated, you'll see the Q icon in your sidebar

Authentication Options Explained

Builder ID (Recommended for Individual Developers): This is the fastest way to get started. You don't need an existing AWS account, and the setup takes less than two minutes. Perfect for personal projects or trying out Q Developer.

IAM Identity Center: Ideal for enterprise teams or if you're already using AWS organizational accounts. Sessions typically last 8 hours, but if you onboarded after April 2024, sessions can extend up to 90 days.

Important Note: Amazon Q doesn't support traditional IAM role-based authentication in IDEs. You'll need to use one of the two options above.

IDE-Specific Setup

Visual Studio Code: Look for the Q icon in the sidebar after installation. Click it, authenticate via browser, then start chatting from the side panel. The integration feels natural and doesn't interfere with your existing extensions.

JetBrains IDEs: Open the Amazon Q tab in the sidebar, complete browser authentication, then interact from the side or bottom panel. Works seamlessly across IntelliJ, PyCharm, and other JetBrains tools.

Eclipse: Click the Q icon at the top right, authenticate through your browser, then start chatting from the bottom panel. Since this is still in preview, expect some rough edges.

What to Expect After Setup

Once you're authenticated, Amazon Q becomes part of your development environment. You can:

• Ask questions about your code in plain English
• Get explanations for error messages
• Request code improvements and refactoring suggestions
• Get help with AWS service integration
• Generate unit tests and documentation

Pricing and What You Get

Amazon Q Developer offers two tiers:

• Free: 50 IDE interactions per day (perfect for getting started)
• Pro: $19/month with unlimited access, priority features, and faster response times

The free tier is generous enough to give you a real feel for how Q Developer works. If you hit the daily limit, you can either upgrade or wait for the reset - no strings attached.

Know more about Q developer pricing here.

Your Code's Security

This is probably on your mind, and rightfully so. Here's what you need to know:

Pro Tier: Your code and queries are never used for model training or service improvement. Period.

Free Tier: Your data may be used to improve model quality, but you can opt out anytime.

Amazon Q stores your input and generated responses temporarily (up to 90 days) to support features like code transformations and context-aware suggestions. After that, everything is permanently deleted.

The security model is transparent and puts control in your hands, which is exactly what you'd expect from an enterprise-grade tool.

Working with Amazon Q in GitHub

Now here's where things get really interesting. While the IDE integration is great for day-to-day coding, Amazon Q Developer's GitHub integration (currently in preview) opens up entirely new possibilities for collaborative development.

I discovered this feature while working on a project that had some frustrating issues after publishing to GitHub. The converted markdown was missing headers, Medium-specific UI elements were cluttering the output, and Python comments weren't being extracted properly. Instead of going back to the CLI, I decided to try this new GitHub integration.

Setting Up GitHub Integration

Getting started is surprisingly simple and doesn't require any AWS credentials:

1. Install the Q Developer GitHub App: Navigate to the Amazon Q Developer GitHub application and add it to your repositories

1. Choose Your Scope: Select all repositories or pick specific ones

1. Start Working: That's it - no additional authentication needed

The setup is genuinely frictionless. You get limited monthly invocations for feature development and code reviews, with the option to increase limits by connecting your AWS account later if needed.

The Development Workflow That Changed My Mind

Here's how I used Amazon Q Developer to systematically fix my project issues:

Step 1: Document Problems as Issues I created detailed GitHub issues describing each problem. The key is being specific about what's broken and what you expect to happen.

Step 2: Apply the Magic Label I added the "Amazon Q development agent" label to trigger the AI. This is where the automation kicks in.

Step 3: Review AI-Generated Solutions The agent analyzed my issues and created pull requests with proposed fixes. I could review everything in the familiar "Files changed" tab.

Step 4: Iterate Using Standard GitHub Flow For each suggestion, I could comment, request modifications, or approve changes using GitHub's standard review process. It felt like collaborating with a skilled developer who understood my codebase.

Step 5: Merge and Close After a few rounds of feedback, I merged three pull requests that fixed all my original issues. The entire process felt natural and productive.

What I Loved About the GitHub Integration

Browser-Based Development: Everything happens in GitHub's interface. When I wasn't at my main development machine, I could still make meaningful progress using just a browser.

Context-Aware Intelligence: The AI understood my project structure and suggested changes that made sense for my specific use case, not generic solutions.

Familiar Workflow: Uses standard GitHub review processes, so there's zero learning curve. It feels like working with a skilled developer who happens to be an AI.

Lightning-Fast Iterations: When I requested changes, Amazon Q Developer responded quickly with updated solutions that addressed my feedback.

Zero Barriers to Entry: Works without AWS credentials, making it accessible to any developer regardless of their cloud provider.

Amazon Q Developer CLI?

Developers spend significant time in terminals, managing tools, running commands, and debugging issues. Remembering countless command parameters across different tools becomes challenging, especially as they evolve with new versions.

Amazon Q Developer CLI brings AI-powered capabilities directly to your terminal. This open-source tool (Apache 2.0 and MIT licensed) provides three core features:

Key Features

Smart Command Completion
IDE-style auto-completion for hundreds of popular CLI tools (git, docker, aws) directly in your terminal.

Natural Language to Command Translation
Convert your intentions into proper command syntax when you know what you want but can't recall specific parameters.

Conversational Terminal with Agentic Execution
Chat with your terminal using natural language, debug issues, explore codebases, and execute actions like generating code, editing files, and automating Git workflows with your permission.

The tool supports multiple languages beyond English, making it accessible globally.

Installation

Requirements

• OS: macOS, Linux, or Windows (WSL)
• Shell: zsh, bash, or fish
• Terminal: Most standard terminals supported

Installation Types

• Minimal: Core chat and autocomplete features
• Full: Includes GUI configuration tools

Setup Process

1. macOS: Direct download or Homebrew installation (simplest)
2. Linux: Follow the Linux installation guide
3. Windows: Use the Windows/WSL installation guide

For macOS/Linux and Ubuntu - Follow this guide
For windows - Follow this guide

Authentication

After installation, authenticate using:

• Builder ID (Free): Register at Builder ID page with your email - no AWS account needed
• Identity Centre: For enterprise users

Getting Started

Command Completion

Enhanced suggestions appear as you type. Navigate with arrow keys or continue typing to refine options. Press ESC to dismiss.

Command Translation

Transform natural language into executable commands:

q translate "find all files containing 'amazon-q' excluding hidden directories"

Output:

Shell · find . -type f -name "*amazon-q*" -not -path "*/.*" -not -path "./.*"

❯ ⚡ Execute command
  📝 Edit command
  🔄 Regenerate answer
  ❓ Ask another question
  ❌ Cancel

Chat Mode

Start an interactive session:

q chat

Or with direct query:

q chat "What is the largest file in my directory?"

The system requests permission before executing commands:

Execute shell command
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
I will run the following shell command:
find . -type f -maxdepth 1 -exec du -h {} \; | sort -hr | head -n 10

Enter y to run this tool, otherwise continue chatting.

Context Management

Amazon Q CLI uses contextual information from your current directory for better responses.

View Current Context

> /context show

current profile: default

global:
    .amazonq/rules/**/*.md
    README.md
    AmazonQ.md

Improve Context

• Create markdown files with coding preferences in a "spec" directory
• Add project-specific context files
• Use profiles for different working environments: /profile
• Context files are stored in ~/.aws/amazonq/

Useful Commands

Chat Session Commands

• /acceptall - Auto-approve all requests (use cautiously)
• /profile - Manage profiles (Beta)
• /context - Manage context files (Beta)
• /help - Show available commands
• /quit - Exit chat session

In-Session Execution

Execute commands without leaving chat using "!" prefix:

> ! echo "Q is awesome"

Permission System

• Auto-requests permission for most operations
• Read-only commands (ls, cat, echo, pwd, which, head, tail) don't require permission
• Use /acceptall to auto-approve (supervise carefully)

Best Practices

Security

• Always review commands before execution
• Monitor outputs for unexpected behavior
• Use /acceptall with supervision

Workflow Optimization

• Combine completion with translation features
• Use chat mode for complex debugging
• Maintain organized context files
• Create profiles for different project types

Conclusion

Amazon Q Developer CLI transforms command line interaction by integrating AI capabilities directly into your terminal. The combination of intelligent completion, natural language processing, and agentic execution creates a more intuitive and efficient development experience.

Key Takeaways

Amazon Q Developer isn't just following the AI trend - it's genuinely solving real problems that AWS developers face every day. The combination of AWS-specific knowledge, multiple integration points, and focus on practical developer workflows makes it feel like a natural extension of your development environment.

The tool works best when you approach it as a knowledgeable pair programmer rather than a magic code generator. Ask it questions, get explanations, iterate on solutions, and use it to learn better practices. The more you use it, the more it understands your coding patterns and preferences.

While it's still evolving (especially the GitHub integration), the foundation is solid and the direction is promising. If you're working with AWS regularly, Amazon Q Developer is worth adding to your toolkit.

Give it a try and see how it fits into your development workflow. You might find yourself wondering how you ever debugged those cryptic Lambda errors without it.