# Creating a custom lens for a workload in AWS WA Tool
<a name="lenses-create"></a>

**To create a custom lens**

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the AWS Well-Architected Tool console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/wellarchitected/](https://console.aws.amazon.com/wellarchitected/).

1. In the left navigation pane, choose **Custom lenses**.

1. Choose **Create custom lens**.

1. Choose **Download file** to download the JSON template file.

1. Open the JSON template file with your favorite text editor and add the data for your custom lens. This data includes your pillars, questions, best practices, and improvement plan links.

   Refer to [Lens format specification in AWS WA Tool](lenses-format-specification.md) for details. A custom lens cannot exceed 500 KB in size.

1. Choose **Choose file** to select your JSON file.

1. (Optional) In the **Tags** section, add any tags you want to associate with the custom lens.

1. Choose **Submit & Preview** to preview the custom lens, or **Submit** to submit the custom lens without previewing.

   If you choose to **Submit & Preview** your custom lens, you can select **Next** to navigate through the lens preview, or select **Exit Preview** to go back to **Custom lenses**.

If validation fails, edit your JSON file and try creating the custom lens again.

After AWS WA Tool validates your JSON file, your custom lens is displayed in **Custom lenses**.

After a custom lens has been created, it's in **DRAFT** status. You must [publish the lens](lenses-publish.md) before it can be applied to workloads or shared with other AWS accounts. 

You can create up to 15 custom lenses in an AWS account.

**Disclaimer**  
Do not include or gather personal identifiable information (PII) of end users or other identifiable individuals in or via your custom lenses. If your custom lens or those shared with you and used in your account do include or collect PII you are responsible for: ensuring that the included PII is processed in accordance with applicable law, providing adequate privacy notices, and obtaining necessary consents for processing such data.