Why aren’t my CloudWatch logs appearing in AWS?

There can be several reasons why your CloudWatch logs aren’t appearing in AWS. Here are some common causes and troubleshooting steps:

1. Log Group or Log Stream Doesn’t Exist

• Ensure the log group and log stream you expect to see exist.

• Sometimes logs go to a different log group or stream if the configuration is incorrect.

2. IAM Permissions

• Check if the IAM role or user pushing logs has the necessary permissions to write to CloudWatch Logs.

• Required permissions usually include:

  • logs:CreateLogGroup

  • logs:CreateLogStream

  • logs:PutLogEvents

3. Incorrect Logging Configuration

• For AWS services like Lambda, ECS, or EC2 agents, confirm the logging configuration points to the correct log group.

• For custom applications, check that the CloudWatch Logs agent or SDK is configured properly.

4. Agent Issues (if applicable)

• If using the CloudWatch Logs agent, verify that the agent is running on the instance.

• Check the agent’s log file for errors (usually /var/log/awslogs.log on Linux).

5. Delayed Logs

• Sometimes logs can be delayed due to network or service issues.

• Wait a few minutes and refresh the console.

6. Log Retention or Deletion

• Check if logs were deleted due to retention policies or manual deletion.

7. Region Mismatch

• Make sure you’re viewing the correct AWS region where the logs are being sent.