Well-Architected Framework
The AWS Well-Architected Framework whitepaper describes key
concepts, design principles, and architectural best practices for designing and
running workloads in the cloud.
What's new
Recent announcements and updates for AWS
Well-Architected.
Framework
No new updates.
Lenses (new!)
New and updated lenses (Updated 10-1-2026)
- Update to the Streaming Media Lens
- New Digital Sovereignty Lens
User guide (new!)
AWS Well-Architected Agent (Updated 10-1-2026)
- Public preview release of the AWS Well-Architected Agent
- New AWS Well-Architected Agent user guide
API reference (new!)
AWS Well-Architected API Reference (Updated 10-1-2026)
- AWS Well-Architected Agent API details added
Framework and pillars
The Well-Architected Framework and pillar whitepapers describe design principles
and best practices for building reliable, secure, efficient, cost-effective, and
sustainable workloads.
Operational Excellence Pillar
The Operational Excellence pillar focuses on running and monitoring systems to
deliver business value, and continually improving processes and procedures.
Security Pillar
The Security pillar focuses on protecting information and systems, including
confidentiality and integrity of data, identifying and managing who can do
what.
Reliability Pillar
The Reliability pillar focuses on workloads performing their intended function
correctly and consistently, including the ability to recover from failure.
Performance Efficiency Pillar
The Performance Efficiency pillar focuses on using computing resources
efficiently to meet system requirements and maintaining that efficiency as demand
changes.
Cost Optimization Pillar
The Cost Optimization pillar focuses on avoiding unnecessary costs,
understanding where money is being spent, and selecting the right number of resource
types.
Sustainability Pillar
The Sustainability pillar focuses on minimizing the environmental impacts of
running cloud workloads, including energy consumption and resource
efficiency.
User guides
Guides and references for the AWS Well-Architected Tool and AWS Well-Architected Agent.
User Guide
Provides an overview of AWS Well-Architected and includes
instructions for measuring your workloads, tracking improvements, and exploring
optimization opportunities.
API Reference
Describes the API operations for the AWS Well-Architected Tool and AWS Well-Architected Agent. Includes sample requests, responses, and errors
for the supported web services protocols.
Lenses
Well-Architected Lenses extend the guidance of the Framework to specific industry
and technology domains. Each lens provides best practices, design principles, and
improvement plans tailored to a particular workload type.
AI Guidance
Generative AI Lens
Best practices for designing, deploying, and
operating generative AI applications using foundation models.
Agentic
AI Lens
Best practices for designing, securing, and operating
autonomous agent systems on AWS.
Responsible AI Lens
Best practices for responsibly building and
operating AI solutions, including fairness, safety, and transparency.
Machine Learning Lens
Best practices for managing machine learning
workloads across the ML lifecycle.
Industry
Financial Services Industry Lens
Best practices for architecting
financial services workloads, including regulatory compliance and data
residency.
Games Industry Lens
Best practices for building and operating games
in the cloud, including scalability for global player demand.
Government Lens
Best practices for designing and delivering
government services on AWS.
Healthcare Industry Lens
Best practices for designing, deploying,
and managing healthcare workloads in the AWS Cloud.
Life Sciences Lens
Best practices for life sciences workloads,
including GxP adherence and clinical data management.
Telco
Lens
Best practices for designing and operating telecommunications
workloads on AWS.
Streaming Media Lens
Best practices for designing, delivering, and
maintaining streaming media workloads.
Video Streaming Advertising Lens
Best practices for designing and
operating high-throughput video streaming advertising workloads.
Supply Chain Lens
Best practices for designing well-architected
supply chain workloads on AWS.
Modern Industrial Data Technology Lens
Best practices for
manufacturing and industrial data workloads, including OT/IT convergence and edge
computing.
Technology
Serverless Applications Lens
Best practices for building serverless
workloads, including event-driven architectures and microservices.
Container Build Lens
Best practices for the container design and
build process.
Analytics
Lens
Best practices for designing well-architected analytics
workloads, including data lake, streaming, and batch processing.
Internet of Things
(IoT) Lens
Best practices for managing IoT workloads, including
device management, edge computing, and telemetry ingestion.
SaaS
Lens
Best practices for designing, deploying, and architecting SaaS
workloads, including multi-tenant isolation.
High Performance Computing Lens
Best practices for designing and
operating high performance computing workloads on AWS.
Hybrid Networking Lens
Best practices for designing hybrid
networking architectures integrating on-premises and AWS environments.
End User Computing Lens
Best practices for designing and operating
end user computing workloads on AWS.
DevOps Guidance
A structured approach to cultivating a
high-velocity, security-focused culture using modern DevOps best practices.
Operations and Migration
SAP
Lens
Best practices for running SAP workloads on AWS, including high
availability and disaster recovery.
Microsoft Workloads Lens
Best practices for running Microsoft
workloads on AWS.
Migration
Lens
Best practices for migrating workloads to the AWS Cloud.
Mergers and Acquisitions Lens
Best practices for workload
integration and migration to the cloud during mergers and acquisitions.
Management and Governance Guide
Guidance for preparing your AWS
environment with controls, identity management, observability, and cost
management.
Connected Mobility Lens
Best practices for integrating technology
into transportation systems and enhancing vehicle connectivity.
Data and Sovereignty
Digital Sovereignty Lens
Best practices for
designing sovereign workloads.
Data Residency with Hybrid Cloud Services Lens
Best practices for
designing hybrid cloud workloads with data residency requirements.
Māori Data
Lens
Supports customers who want to apply Māori data considerations
when using AWS services.
Learn more
Well-Architected on AWS
Learn about the AWS Well-Architected program, find partners,
and explore case studies. Visit the program
page
Architecture Center
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