How do Launch Templates differ from Launch Configurations?

Launch Templates are the newer, more capable replacement for Launch Configurations. Templates support versioning (you can create new versions without replacing the template), multiple instance types in a single template, Spot options, placement groups, capacity reservations, and elastic inference accelerators. Launch Configurations are immutable — any change requires creating a new one. AWS recommends using Launch Templates for all new Auto Scaling groups, and Launch Configurations will eventually be deprecated.

How does instance metadata service v2 (IMDSv2) work in launch templates?

IMDSv2 adds a session-based authentication layer to the instance metadata endpoint. In the launch template, set HttpTokens to 'required' to enforce IMDSv2, which means all metadata requests must include a session token obtained via a PUT request. This prevents SSRF attacks that try to query the metadata endpoint to steal IAM role credentials. You can also set HttpPutResponseHopLimit to 1 to prevent containers or forwarded requests from reaching the metadata service.

EC2 Launch Template Builder

ComputeAWS

Build EC2 launch template configurations with EBS, security, and user data.

EC2 Configuration

Build EC2 launch template configs with instance types, storage, networking, and security settings.

Required Fields

LaunchTemplateNameLaunchTemplateData.ImageIdLaunchTemplateData.InstanceType

{
  "LaunchTemplateName": "prod-web-server-template",
  "VersionDescription": "Production web server with EBS and monitoring",
  "LaunchTemplateData": {
    "ImageId": "ami-0abcdef1234567890",
    "InstanceType": "m6i.xlarge",
    "KeyName": "prod-keypair",
    "SecurityGroupIds": [
      "sg-0a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8"
    ],
    "IamInstanceProfile": {
      "Arn": "arn:aws:iam::123456789012:instance-profile/WebServerRole"
    },
    "BlockDeviceMappings": [
      {
        "DeviceName": "/dev/xvda",
        "Ebs": {
          "VolumeSize": 50,
          "VolumeType": "gp3",
          "Iops": 3000,
          "Throughput": 125,
          "Encrypted": true,
          "DeleteOnTermination": true
        }
      }
    ],
    "NetworkInterfaces": [
      {
        "DeviceIndex": 0,
        "AssociatePublicIpAddress": false,
        "SubnetId": "subnet-0abc123def456789a",
        "Groups": ["sg-0a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8"]
      }
    ],
    "Monitoring": {
      "Enabled": true
    },
    "MetadataOptions": {
      "HttpTokens": "required",
      "HttpPutResponseHopLimit": 1,
      "HttpEndpoint": "enabled"
    },
    "TagSpecifications": [
      {
        "ResourceType": "instance",
        "Tags": [
          { "Key": "Environment", "Value": "production" },
          { "Key": "Application", "Value": "web-server" }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "UserData": "IyEvYmluL2Jhc2gKeXVtIHVwZGF0ZSAteQo="
  }
}

Generated Output

Output will appear here...

About This Tool

EC2 Launch Templates define the configuration blueprint for launching instances — AMI, instance type, key pair, security groups, EBS volumes, user data scripts, IAM instance profiles, and advanced options like placement groups and capacity reservations. Unlike the older Launch Configurations, Launch Templates support versioning, so you can iterate on configurations without recreating Auto Scaling groups. The Launch Template Builder walks you through all the configurable fields and generates the complete JSON specification ready for use with the AWS CLI, CloudFormation, or Terraform.

When to Use This Tool

•Creating versioned launch templates for Auto Scaling groups with proper EBS optimization, security groups, and user data bootstrap scripts
•Defining instance configurations with mixed instance types for Spot and On-Demand capacity in a single template
•Building launch templates with encrypted EBS volumes, IMDSv2 enforcement, and detailed monitoring enabled
•Generating template JSON for infrastructure-as-code pipelines that need reproducible instance configurations

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Launch Templates differ from Launch Configurations?: Launch Templates are the newer, more capable replacement for Launch Configurations. Templates support versioning (you can create new versions without replacing the template), multiple instance types in a single template, Spot options, placement groups, capacity reservations, and elastic inference accelerators. Launch Configurations are immutable — any change requires creating a new one. AWS recommends using Launch Templates for all new Auto Scaling groups, and Launch Configurations will eventually be deprecated.
How does instance metadata service v2 (IMDSv2) work in launch templates?: IMDSv2 adds a session-based authentication layer to the instance metadata endpoint. In the launch template, set HttpTokens to 'required' to enforce IMDSv2, which means all metadata requests must include a session token obtained via a PUT request. This prevents SSRF attacks that try to query the metadata endpoint to steal IAM role credentials. You can also set HttpPutResponseHopLimit to 1 to prevent containers or forwarded requests from reaching the metadata service.

Related Learning Guides

EC2 Instance Types Explained24 min read

Disclaimer: This tool runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent to our servers. Always verify outputs before using them in production. AWS, Azure, and GCP are trademarks of their respective owners.