Can I change the environment variables in a published version of my Lambda function?

Last updated: 2021-01-07

You can't change the configuration (including environment variables) or function code in a published Lambda function version. You can only change the current, unpublished function version ($LATEST).

Note: If you receive errors when running AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) commands, make sure that you’re using the most recent AWS CLI version.

Change the unpublished function version

To change environment variables in the $LATEST version of your Lambda function, use one of the following:

• The Lambda console.
• The update-function-configuration command in the AWS CLI.
• Lambda API calls in the AWS SDKs.

Publish a new function version

After changing environment variables in the $LATEST version, publish your updated Lambda function using the Lambda console or the PublishVersion API. For more information, see Managing Versions with the Lambda API.

Note: Consider creating a Lambda alias to point to a function version that's configured with the environment variables that you want to use. Using aliases allows you to avoid hardcoding a specific function version into your app.