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Overview

  • AWS Bedrock: A fully managed service that offers access to leading generative AI models (e.g., Anthropic Claude, Amazon Nova) through AWS.
    Learn more about AWS Bedrock.
  • Cline: A VS Code extension that acts as a coding assistant by integrating with AI models—empowering developers to generate code, debug, and analyze data.
  • Developer Focus: This guide is tailored for individual developers that want to enable access to frontier models via AWS Bedrock with a simplified setup using API Keys.

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Step 1: Prepare Your AWS Environment

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1.1 Individual user setup - Create a Bedrock API Key

For more detailed instructions check the documentation.
  1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console:
    AWS Console
  2. Access Bedrock Console:

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1.2 Create or Modify the Policy

To ensure Cline can interact with AWS Bedrock, your IAM user or role needs specific permissions. While the AmazonBedrockLimitedAccess managed policy provides comprehensive access, for a more restricted and secure setup adhering to the principle of least privilege, the following minimal permissions are sufficient for Cline’s core model invocation functionality:
  • bedrock:InvokeModel
  • bedrock:InvokeModelWithResponseStream
  • bedrock:CallWithBearerToken
You can create a custom IAM policy with these permissions and attach it to your IAM user or role.
  1. In the AWS IAM console, create a new policy.
  2. Use the JSON editor to add the following policy document: 
    {
	"Version": "2012-10-17",
	"Statement": [
		{
			"Effect": "Allow",
			"Action": ["bedrock:InvokeModel", "bedrock:InvokeModelWithResponseStream", "bedrock:CallWithBearerToken"],
			"Resource": "*" // For enhanced security, scope this to specific model ARNs if possible.
		}
	]
}
  3. Name the policy (e.g., ClineBedrockInvokeAccess) and attach it to the IAM user associated with the key you created. The IAM user and the API key have the same prefix.
Important Considerations:
  • Model Listing in Cline: The minimal permissions (bedrock:InvokeModel, bedrock:InvokeModelWithResponseStream) are sufficient for Cline to use a model if you specify the model ID directly in Cline’s settings. If you rely on Cline to dynamically list available Bedrock models, you might need additional permissions like bedrock:ListFoundationModels.
  • AWS Marketplace Subscriptions: For third-party models (e.g., Anthropic Claude), the AmazonBedrockLimitedAccess policy grants you the necessary permissions to subscribe via the AWS Marketplace. There is no explicit access to be enabled. For Anthropic models you are still required to submit a First Time Use (FTU) form via the Console. If you get the following message in the Cline chat [ERROR] Failed to process response: Model use case details have not been submitted for this account. Fill out the Anthropic use case details form before using the model. then open the Playground in the AWS Bedrock Console, select any Anthropic model and fill in the form (you might need to send a prompt first)

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Step 2: Verify Regional and Model Access

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2.1 Choose and Confirm a Region

  1. Select a Region:
    AWS Bedrock is available in multiple regions (e.g., US East, Europe, Asia Pacific). Choose the region that meets your latency and compliance needs.
    AWS Global Infrastructure
  2. Verify Model Access:
    • Note: Some models are only accessible via an Inference Profile. In such case check the box “Cross Region Inference”.

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Step 3: Configure the Cline VS Code Extension

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3.1 Install and Open Cline

  1. Install VS Code:
    Download from the VS Code website.
  2. Install the Cline Extension:
    • Open VS Code.
    • Go to the Extensions Marketplace (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X).
    • Search for Cline and install it.

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3.2 Configure Cline Settings

  1. Open Cline Settings:
    • Click on the settings ⚙️ to select your API Provider.
  2. Select AWS Bedrock as the API Provider:
    • From the API Provider dropdown, choose AWS Bedrock.
  3. Enter Your AWS API Key:
    • Input your API Key
    • Specify the correct AWS Region (e.g., us-east-1 or your enterprise-approved region).
  4. Select a Model:
    • Choose an on-demand model (e.g., anthropic.claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022-v2:0).
  5. Save and Test:
    • Click Done/Save to apply your settings.
    • Test the integration by sending a simple prompt (e.g., “Generate a Python function to check if a number is prime.”).

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Step 4: Security, Monitoring, and Best Practices

  1. Secure Access:
  2. Enhance Network Security:
  3. Monitor and Log Activity:
    • Enable AWS CloudTrail to log Bedrock API calls.
    • Use CloudWatch to monitor metrics like invocation count, latency, and token usage.
    • Set up alerts for abnormal activity.
  4. Handle Errors and Manage Costs:
    • Implement exponential backoff for throttling errors.
    • Use AWS Cost Explorer and set billing alerts to track usage.
      AWS Cost Management
  5. Regular Audits and Compliance:
    • Periodically review IAM roles and CloudTrail logs.
    • Follow internal data privacy and governance policies.

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Conclusion

By following these steps, you can quickly integrate AWS Bedrock with the Cline VS Code extension to accelerate development:
  1. Prepare Your AWS Environment: Create a Bedrock API Key with the necessary permissions.
  2. Verify Region and Model Access: Confirm that your selected region supports your required models.
  3. Configure Cline in VS Code: Install and set up Cline with your AWS API Key and choose an appropriate model.
  4. Implement Security and Monitoring: Use best practices for IAM, network security, monitoring, and cost management.
For further details, consult the AWS Bedrock Documentation. Happy coding!
This guide will be updated as AWS Bedrock and Cline evolve. Always refer to the latest documentation and internal policies for up-to-date practices.