# AWS Step Functions

> AWS Step Functions is a serverless workflow service that coordinates Lambda functions and AWS services using state machines.

- Source: https://www.itwonderlab.com/aws-step-functions/
- Published: 2026-08-27
- Updated: 2026-08-27
- Author: Javier Ruiz Jiménez (https://www.javierruizjimenez.com/)
- Site: IT Wonder Lab (https://www.itwonderlab.com/)

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**AWS Step Functions** lets you define a workflow as a **state machine** in Amazon States Language (JSON): sequences, parallel branches, choices, loops, retries and error handling, with direct integrations with more than 200 AWS services. It is used to orchestrate [Lambda](https://www.itwonderlab.com/aws-lambda/) functions, batch jobs and approvals. *Standard* workflows run for up to a year and are billed per state transition. *Express* workflows are for high-volume short executions.

With Terraform: `aws_sfn_state_machine` with a `definition` built using `jsonencode` or `templatefile`.