AWS Chatbot is now Amazon Q Developer. [Learn more](service-rename.md)

# Creating and using command aliases in chat channels
Command aliases

Amazon Q Developer in chat applications supports the creation of command aliases to make running commonly used CLI commands easier. A command alias is a custom shortcut or shorthand representation of a CLI command that you define. A command alias can be configured to include one or more custom parameters. Additional target actions can be included as part of the alias definition. 

Command aliases are defined for a single channel. If a channel is configured to work with more than one AWS account, the aliases work across all AWS accounts. All channel members share the aliases defined in the channel.

**Note**  
When a channel member runs a command alias, the target is run with the configured member's permissions (channel role, user role) depending on the permissions schemas in place. For more information about permissions, see [Understanding Amazon Q Developer in chat applications permissions](understanding-permissions.md).

We strongly recommend that you don't add any personally identifiable information (PII) or other confidential or sensitive information to your command aliases.

For more information about running CLI commands in Slack, see [Running AWS CLI commands from chat channels using Amazon Q Developer in chat applications](chatbot-cli-commands.md).

**Topics**
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## Creating a command alias in Amazon Q Developer in chat applications
](#create-aliases)
+ [

## Listing command aliases using Amazon Q Developer in chat applications
](#list-aliases)
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## Running command aliases using Amazon Q Developer in chat applications
](#run-alias)
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## Getting help using Amazon Q Developer in chat applications
](#get-help)

## Creating a command alias in Amazon Q Developer in chat applications
Creating aliases

You can create command aliases using the [CreateCustomAction](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/chatbot/latest/APIReference/API_CreateCustomAction.html) action and providing an `AliasName`, or by running:

`@Amazon Q alias create alias_name mapped_action`.

**Note**  
The command alias definition can contain additional parameters. Also note that *alias\$1name* has a 100 character limit and *mapped\$1action* has a 5,000 character limit.

For example, in this alias:

`@Amazon Q alias create automation ssm start-automation-execution --document-name $name --parameters { "AutomationAssumeRole": ["arn:aws:iam::123456789012:role/$role-name"] }`

The parameters `$name` and `$role-name` are input variables that are required to run the alias. When the alias is run, your supplied parameter values are used for the parameters.

So, if you run:

`@Amazon Q run automation val1 val2`.

`$name` is assigned the value val1 and `$role-name` the value of val2. These values are assigned by position.

Alternatively, you can explicitly name the alias parameters:

`@Amazon Q run automation --name val1 --role-name val2`.

## Listing command aliases using Amazon Q Developer in chat applications
Listing command aliases

 To list all available command aliases in a channel, run:

` @Amazon Q alias list`.

## Running command aliases using Amazon Q Developer in chat applications
Running command aliases

To run a command alias, use:

`@Amazon Q run alias_name` or `@Amazon Q alias run alias_name`.

## Getting help using Amazon Q Developer in chat applications
Getting help

To get help with command aliases, run:

`@Amazon Q help` or `@Amazon Q alias help`.