CloudFormation: No updates are to be performed
You ran an update/deploy with a template and parameters identical to what’s deployed, so there’s nothing to change.
Seen on:
AWS
Meaning
Not a real failure, but aws cloudformation update-stack exits with an error, breaking CI. aws cloudformation deploy supports --no-fail-on-empty-changeset.
Common causes
- No template or parameter changes since last deploy
- Changes only in things CloudFormation doesn’t track (code in S3 with the same key)
⚡ Quick fix
- Use aws cloudformation deploy --no-fail-on-empty-changeset
- Change the S3 key/version for new code artifacts
- Treat this message as success in scripts
Detailed fix by platform
AWS CLI
aws cloudformation deploy --stack-name app --template-file template.yaml --no-fail-on-empty-changeset
How to diagnose
- Diff — Template/parameters changed?
- Artifacts — New S3 key for code?
🔧 Still not fixed?
Many errors look alike. If the steps above didn’t solve it, one of these is probably what you’re facing:
Similar errors
- AADSTS70021 AADSTS70021: No matching federated identity record found for presented assertion (GitHub Actions / workload identity)
- already exists in stack CloudFormation: Resource ... already exists (AlreadyExists / already exists in stack)
- another operation is in progress Error: UPGRADE FAILED: another operation (install/upgrade/rollback) is in progress
Most viewed in AWS
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Last updated 7 Oct 2026