# Create a change set for a CloudFormation stack
<a name="using-cfn-updating-stacks-changesets-create"></a>

To create a change set for a running stack, submit the changes that you want to make by providing a modified template, new input parameter values, or both. CloudFormation generates a change set by comparing your stack with the changes you submitted.

You can either modify a template before creating the change set or during change set creation.

------
#### [ Create a change set (console) ]

**To create a change set**

1. Open the CloudFormation console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudformation](https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudformation/).

1. On the navigation bar at the top of the screen, choose your AWS Region.

1. On the **Stacks** page, choose the running stack you want to create a change set for.

1. In the stack details pane, choose **Stack actions**, and then choose **Create a change set**.

1. On the **Create change set for *stack-name*** page, do one of the following to modify input parameter values, specify the location of an updated template, or modify the template:    
[\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/using-cfn-updating-stacks-changesets-create.html)

1. On the **Specify stack details** page, specify a name for the change set and optionally specify a description of the change set to identify its purpose in the **Overview** section. If your template contains parameters, on the **Specify stack details** page, enter or modify applicable input parameter values, and then choose **Next**.

   If you're reusing the stack's template, CloudFormation populates each parameter with the current value in the stack, with the exception of parameters declared with the `NoEcho` attribute. To use existing values for those parameters, select **Use existing value**.

   For more information about using `NoEcho` to mask sensitive information, and using dynamic parameters to manage secrets, see the [Do not embed credentials in your templates](security-best-practices.md#creds) best practice.

1. On the **Configure stack options** page, update the stack's tags, IAM service role, stack policy, rollback configuration, Amazon SNS notification topic (if applicable), or change sets.
**Note**  
Change sets for nested stacks are **Enabled** by default, which will create change sets for all nested stacks specified in your template. To create a change set for the current stack only, choose **Disabled**. For more information about change sets for nested stacks, see [Change sets for nested stacks](change-sets-for-nested-stacks.md).

1. If the template includes IAM resources, for **Capabilities**, choose **I acknowledge that CloudFormation might create IAM resources**. IAM resources can modify permissions in your AWS account; review these resources to ensure that you're permitting only the actions that you intend. For more information, see [Acknowledging IAM resources in CloudFormation templates](control-access-with-iam.md#using-iam-capabilities).

1. Choose **Next** to continue.

1. On the **Review *stack-name*** page, review the changes for this change set.

1. Choose **Submit**.

   You're redirected to the **Changes** tab of the change set's details page. While CloudFormation generates the change set, the status of the change set is `CREATE_PENDING`. After it has created the change set, CloudFormation sets the status to `CREATE_COMPLETE`. In the **Changes** section, CloudFormation lists all of the changes that it will make to your stack. For more information, see [View a change set for a CloudFormation stack](using-cfn-updating-stacks-changesets-view.md).

   Choose **View details** in the **Property-level changes** column to view changes made at the property-level.

   If CloudFormation fails to create the change set (reports `FAILED` status), fix the error displayed in the **Status** field, and then recreate the change set.

1. After confirming the changes look correct, choose **Execute change set**

------
#### [ Create a change set for nested stacks (console) ]

**To create a change set for nested stacks**

1. Open the CloudFormation console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudformation](https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudformation/).

1. On the navigation bar at the top of the screen, choose your AWS Region.

1. On the **Stacks** page, select the running stack you want to create a change set for.

1. In the stack details pane, choose **Stack actions**, and then choose **Create a change set**.

1. On the **Create change set for *stack-name*** page, do one of the following to modify input parameter values, specify the location of an updated template, or modify the template:    
[\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/using-cfn-updating-stacks-changesets-create.html)

1. On the **Specify stack details** page, specify a name for the change set and optionally specify a description of the change set to identify its purpose in the **Overview** section. If your template contains parameters, on the **Specify stack details** page, enter or modify applicable input parameter values, and then choose **Next**.

   If you're reusing the stack's template, CloudFormation populates each parameter with the current value in the stack, with the exception of parameters declared with the `NoEcho` attribute. To use existing values for those parameters, select **Use existing value**.

   For more information about using `NoEcho` to mask sensitive information, as well as using dynamic parameters to manage secrets, see the [Do not embed credentials in your templates](security-best-practices.md#creds) best practice.

1. On the **Configure stack options** page, update the stack's tags, IAM service role, stack policy, rollback configuration, Amazon SNS notification topic (if applicable), or change sets. For more information, see [Configure stack options](cfn-console-create-stack.md#configure-stack-options).
**Note**  
Change sets for nested stacks are **Enabled** by default, which will create change sets for all nested stacks specified in your template. For more information about change sets for nested stacks, see [Change sets for nested stacks](change-sets-for-nested-stacks.md).

1. If the template includes IAM resources, for **Capabilities**, choose **I acknowledge that CloudFormation might create IAM resources**. IAM resources can modify permissions in your AWS account; review these resources to ensure that you're permitting only the actions that you intend. For more information, see [Acknowledging IAM resources in CloudFormation templates](control-access-with-iam.md#using-iam-capabilities).

1. Choose **Next** to continue.

1. On the **Review *stack-name*** page, review the changes for this change set.

1. Choose **Submit**.
**Note**  
CloudFormation property-level change sets does not resolve cross-stack references when you create change sets for nested stacks. Change sets can mark resources in a child stack for conditional replacement if they reference the output of a parent stack, and the parent stack has been modified

   You're redirected to the **Changes** tab of the change set's details page. While CloudFormation generates the change set, the status of the change set is `CREATE_PENDING`. After it has created the change set, CloudFormation sets the status to `CREATE_COMPLETE`. In the **Changes** section, CloudFormation lists all of the changes that it will make to your stack. For more information, see [View a change set for a CloudFormation stack](using-cfn-updating-stacks-changesets-view.md).

   If CloudFormation fails to create the change set (reports `FAILED` status), fix the error displayed in the **Status** field, and then recreate the change set.

1. After confirming the changes look correct, choose **Execute change set**

------

**To create a change set (AWS CLI)**
+ Use the [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/cloudformation/create-change-set.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/reference/cloudformation/create-change-set.html) command.

  You submit your changes as command options. You can specify new parameter values, a modified template, or both. For example, the following command creates a change set named `SampleChangeSet` for the `MyStack` stack. The change set uses the current stack's template, but with a different value for the `Purpose` parameter:

  ```
  aws cloudformation create-change-set --stack-name MyStack \
      --change-set-name SampleChangeSet --use-previous-template \
      --parameters \
        ParameterKey="InstanceType",UsePreviousValue=true ParameterKey="KeyPairName",UsePreviousValue=true ParameterKey="Purpose",ParameterValue="production"
  ```