serverless/serverless · error · ServerlessError

CLOUDWATCH_DESCRIBE_LOG_GROUPS_ERROR

CLOUDWATCH_DESCRIBE_LOG_GROUPS_ERROR

Error message

Failed to describe log groups: ${error.message}

What it means

Wraps any failure from CloudWatch Logs DescribeLogGroupsCommand into a ServerlessError with code CLOUDWATCH_DESCRIBE_LOG_GROUPS_ERROR. describeLogGroups forwards { logGroupNamePrefix, limit } to the logsClient; on AWS SDK failure it logs and re-throws a normalized ServerlessError with the underlying error.message.

Source

Thrown at packages/engine/src/lib/aws/cloudwatch.js:156

   * Describes log groups in CloudWatch Logs
   *
   * @param {Object} params - Parameters for the operation
   * @param {string} [params.logGroupNamePrefix] - The prefix to match
   * @param {number} [params.limit] - The maximum number of log groups to return
   * @returns {Promise<Object>} - The response from the DescribeLogGroups operation
   * @throws {ServerlessError} If fetching log groups fails
   */
  describeLogGroups = async ({ logGroupNamePrefix, limit } = {}) => {
    try {
      const command = new DescribeLogGroupsCommand({
        logGroupNamePrefix,
        limit,
      })

      return await this.logsClient.send(command)
    } catch (error) {
      logger.error(`Error describing log groups: ${error.message}`)
      throw new ServerlessError(
        `Failed to describe log groups: ${error.message}`,
        'CLOUDWATCH_DESCRIBE_LOG_GROUPS_ERROR',
      )
    }
  }

  getRecentLogs = async ({ logGroupName, limit = 20, startTime }) => {
    if (!logGroupName) {
      throw new ServerlessError(
        'Log group name must be provided to fetch logs',
        'CLOUDWATCH_LOG_GROUP_MISSING',
      )
    }

    const now = Date.now()
    const effectiveStartTime = startTime || now - 5 * 60 * 1000 // Default to the last 5 minutes

    try {

View on GitHub (pinned to b9d7ea51c8)

Solutions

1. Grant logs:DescribeLogGroups in the caller's IAM policy.
2. Refresh credentials (aws sso login / set a valid profile).
3. If passing limit, keep it within 1-50.
4. Verify awsConfig.region is the region where the log groups live.

try {
  const res = await cw.describeLogGroups({ logGroupNamePrefix, limit })
} catch (err) {
  if (err.code === 'CLOUDWATCH_DESCRIBE_LOG_GROUPS_ERROR') {
    if (/ExpiredToken/.test(err.message)) throw new Error('AWS credentials expired - refresh profile')
    if (/AccessDenied/.test(err.message)) throw new Error('Missing logs:DescribeLogGroups permission')
  }
  throw err
}

When it happens

Trigger: describeLogGroups({ logGroupNamePrefix, limit }) when logsClient.send(DescribeLogGroupsCommand) rejects. Typical AWS causes: missing logs:DescribeLogGroups IAM permission, expired credentials, throttling, invalid limit (must be 1-50), or network errors.

Common situations: An MCP confirmation-handler flow listing log groups without logs:DescribeLogGroups permission; credentials expiring during a long IDE session; passing a limit > 50 (AWS rejects); wrong region configured so the credentials lack access.

Related errors

• CLOUDWATCH_DESCRIBE_ALARMS_ERROR
• CLOUDWATCH_GET_LOGS_FAILED
• CLOUDWATCH_DESCRIBE_ALARM_HISTORY_ERROR
• CLOUDWATCH_GET_METRICS_FAILED
• CLOUDWATCH_GET_SQS_METRICS_FAILED

AI-assisted analysis of serverless/serverless@b9d7ea51c8 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6939d4fe9972887e. Report an issue: GitHub.