<!--[metadata]>
+++
aliases = ["/engine/reference/logging/awslogs/"]
title = "Amazon CloudWatch Logs logging driver"
description = "Describes how to use the Amazon CloudWatch Logs logging driver."
keywords = ["AWS, Amazon, CloudWatch, logging, driver"]
[menu.main]
parent = "smn_logging"
+++
<![end-metadata]-->

# Amazon CloudWatch Logs logging driver

The `awslogs` logging driver sends container logs to
[Amazon CloudWatch Logs](https://aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/details/#log-monitoring).
Log entries can be retrieved through the [AWS Management
Console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/home#logs:) or the [AWS SDKs
and Command Line Tools](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/logs/index.html).

## Usage

You can configure the default logging driver by passing the `--log-driver`
option to the Docker daemon:

    docker daemon --log-driver=awslogs

You can set the logging driver for a specific container by using the
`--log-driver` option to `docker run`:

    docker run --log-driver=awslogs ...

## Amazon CloudWatch Logs options

You can use the `--log-opt NAME=VALUE` flag to specify Amazon CloudWatch Logs logging driver options.

### awslogs-region

The `awslogs` logging driver sends your Docker logs to a specific region. Use
the `awslogs-region` log option or the `AWS_REGION` environment variable to set
the region.  By default, if your Docker daemon is running on an EC2 instance
and no region is set, the driver uses the instance's region.

    docker run --log-driver=awslogs --log-opt awslogs-region=us-east-1 ...

### awslogs-group

You must specify a
[log group](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/DeveloperGuide/WhatIsCloudWatchLogs.html)
for the `awslogs` logging driver.  You can specify the log group with the
`awslogs-group` log option:

    docker run --log-driver=awslogs --log-opt awslogs-region=us-east-1 --log-opt awslogs-group=myLogGroup ...

### awslogs-stream

To configure which
[log stream](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/DeveloperGuide/WhatIsCloudWatchLogs.html)
should be used, you can specify the `awslogs-stream` log option.  If not
specified, the container ID is used as the log stream.

> **Note:**
> Log streams within a given log group should only be used by one container
> at a time.  Using the same log stream for multiple containers concurrently
> can cause reduced logging performance.

## Credentials

You must provide AWS credentials to the Docker daemon to use the `awslogs`
logging driver. You can provide these credentials with the `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID`,
`AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY`, and `AWS_SESSION_TOKEN` environment variables, the
default AWS shared credentials file (`~/.aws/credentials` of the root user), or
(if you are running the Docker daemon on an Amazon EC2 instance) the Amazon EC2
instance profile.

Credentials must have a policy applied that allows the `logs:CreateLogStream`
and `logs:PutLogEvents` actions, as shown in the following example.

    {
      "Version": "2012-10-17",
      "Statement": [
        {
          "Action": [
            "logs:CreateLogStream",
            "logs:PutLogEvents"
          ],
          "Effect": "Allow",
          "Resource": "*"
        }
      ]
    }