Great question! AWS Amplify environments are designed to be isolated by default, but you absolutely can bring your partner's existing API Gateway and Lambda functions into your environment so they show up in amplify status. Here's how to do it, along with key considerations:

Option 1: Import Existing Resources Directly into Your Amplify Project #

This is the method that will make the resources appear in amplify status, since you're integrating them into your project's resource inventory.

Step-by-Step for API Gateway #

1. First, make sure your AWS IAM user has permissions to access your partner's API Gateway (they may need to update the API's resource policy or grant you cross-account access).
2. Run this command in your Amplify project root:

   amplify import api
   

3. Follow the CLI prompts:
   • Select REST (if it's a REST API) or GraphQL (for GraphQL APIs)
   • Enter the API Gateway ID (you can get this from the AWS Console in your partner's account)
   • Choose a name for the API in your project
   • Confirm the import

After this completes, run amplify status—you'll see the imported API listed as a backend resource.

Step-by-Step for Lambda Functions #

If the Lambda is tied to the API Gateway, importing the API may already reference it, but if you need to import it separately:

1. Ensure you have IAM permissions to access the Lambda function in your partner's account.
2. Run:

   amplify import function
   

3. Follow the prompts:
   • Select Import an existing function
   • Enter the Lambda function name (or ARN) from your partner's environment
   • Configure any required triggers or permissions as needed

Once imported, this Lambda will also appear in amplify status.

Important Notes for This Approach #

• Avoid accidental modifications: When you import a resource, Amplify adds it to your project config, but it won't overwrite the original resource unless you modify the local config and run amplify push. Be careful not to push changes that would alter your partner's existing setup.
• Cross-account permissions: Your partner will need to set up cross-account access policies for both the API Gateway and Lambda. For example, adding a resource policy to the API Gateway that allows your AWS account ID to invoke it, or attaching an IAM policy to your user that grants lambda:InvokeFunction on their Lambda ARN.
• Version control: The imported resource configs will live in your project's amplify/backend directory—you can commit these to your repo so other team members can use the same setup, but avoid committing sensitive credentials (like API keys) if they're included.

Option 2: Reference External Resources (Without Importing) #

If you don't need the resources to show up in amplify status and just want to call them from your frontend or backend code, you can reference their ARNs/endpoints directly:

• For API Gateway: Hardcode (or store in Amplify environment variables) the API endpoint URL from your partner's environment.
• For Lambda: Use the AWS SDK in your code to invoke the Lambda function using its ARN, provided you have the necessary permissions.

This is simpler but won't make the resources appear in amplify status, so it's only useful if you don't need them listed in your project's resource inventory.

Final Verdict #

Yes, it's absolutely feasible to add your partner's API Gateway and Lambda to your environment so they appear in amplify status—the amplify import api and amplify import function commands are specifically designed for this use case. Just make sure you coordinate with your partner on permissions and avoid unintended changes to their resources.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Otto Denesfay