---
title: API Gateway deployment without access log setting
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
  Security > IaC Security Rules > API Gateway deployment without access log
  setting
---

# API Gateway deployment without access log setting

{% callout %}
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{% alert level="danger" %}
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## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**Id:** `terraform-aws-api-gateway-deployment-without-access-log-setting` 

**Provider:** AWS

**Platform:** Terraform

**Severity:** Medium

**Category:** Observability

#### Learn More{% #learn-more %}

- [Provider Reference](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/hashicorp/aws/latest/docs/resources/api_gateway_deployment)

### Description{% #description %}

API Gateway deployments should have `access_log_settings` defined for each connected API Gateway Stage to ensure proper logging of API requests and responses. Without these settings, as shown below, critical API activity may go unlogged, making it difficult to track access patterns, detect malicious requests, or troubleshoot operational issues:

```
resource "aws_api_gateway_stage" "example" {
  ...
  access_log_settings {
    destination_arn = "arn:aws:logs:region:account-id:log-group:log-group-name"
    format          = "format"
  }
}
```

Leaving this misconfiguration unaddressed can hinder security monitoring and auditing, potentially exposing the environment to undetected abuse or data exfiltration.

## Compliant Code Examples{% #compliant-code-examples %}

```terraform
resource "aws_api_gateway_deployment" "example5" {
  rest_api_id   = "some rest api id"
  stage_name = "some name"
  stage_description = "some description"

  tags {
    project = "ProjectName"
  }
}

resource "aws_api_gateway_stage" "example0" {
  deployment_id = aws_api_gateway_deployment.example5.id
  rest_api_id   = aws_api_gateway_rest_api.example.id
  stage_name    = "example"

  access_log_settings {
    destination_arn = "dest"
    format = "format"
  }
}
```

## Non-Compliant Code Examples{% #non-compliant-code-examples %}

```terraform
resource "aws_api_gateway_deployment" "examplee" {
  rest_api_id   = "some rest api id"
  stage_name = "some name"
  tags {
    project = "ProjectName"
  }
}

resource "aws_api_gateway_stage" "example00" {
  deployment_id = aws_api_gateway_deployment.example.id
  rest_api_id   = aws_api_gateway_rest_api.example.id
  stage_name    = "example"
}
```

```terraform
resource "aws_api_gateway_deployment" "example3" {
  rest_api_id   = "some rest api id"
  stage_name = "some name"
  tags {
    project = "ProjectName"
  }
}

resource "aws_api_gateway_stage" "example000" {
  deployment_id = aws_api_gateway_deployment.example3.id
  rest_api_id   = aws_api_gateway_rest_api.example.id
  stage_name    = "example"
}
```

```terraform
resource "aws_api_gateway_deployment" "example4" {
  rest_api_id   = "some rest api id"
  stage_name = "some name"
  tags {
    project = "ProjectName"
  }
}

resource "aws_api_gateway_stage" "example0000" {
  deployment_id = aws_api_gateway_deployment.example4.id
  rest_api_id   = aws_api_gateway_rest_api.example.id
  stage_name    = "example"

  access_log_settings {
    destination_arn = "dest"
    format = "format"
  }
}
```