Workshop

Build a Serverless API with API Gateway, Lambda, and Cognito

Overview

In this workshop, you will build a simple serverless REST API on AWS that handles user authentication and song management. Everything is done through the AWS Management Console — no code framework or CLI required beyond writing Lambda function code.

By the end, you will have a working API that:

  • Authenticates users via Amazon Cognito
  • Protects routes using a JWT Authorizer on API Gateway
  • Stores and retrieves data from DynamoDB
  • Runs business logic on AWS Lambda

Architecture

Client → API Gateway → Cognito JWT Authorizer → Lambda → DynamoDB
  • Public route: POST /login — anyone can call this
  • Protected route: GET /songs — requires a valid JWT token

Prerequisites

  • AWS account (Free Tier is sufficient)
  • Basic understanding of REST APIs (what is GET, POST, JSON)
  • No prior AWS experience required

Content

  1. Introduction
  2. Preparation
  3. Lambda & API Gateway
  4. Testing
  5. Cleanup