Use Lambda@Edge with a CloudFront distribution to change a video request or response at the point that matters—before cache lookup, when CloudFront contacts an origin, or after an origin or viewer response. It can route requests to different origins, adapt requests, and support access checks; it does not encode or package video. For that, use a video workflow built around services such as MediaConvert, MediaLive, or MediaPackage. The key design decision is where the function runs relative to CloudFront’s cache, because that affects both behavior and which requests invoke your code.
How CloudFront and Lambda@Edge fit into a video workflow
CloudFront delivers packaged video over HTTP. A packager produces a manifest describing playback and media segments containing the video. Common formats include HLS, MPEG-DASH, Smooth Streaming, and CMAF. In a typical VOD workflow, an encoder such as MediaConvert prepares the video, the packaged output is stored on a server or in S3, and CloudFront delivers it. A live workflow can use MediaLive for encoding and MediaStore or MediaPackage for origin or delivery formats. Lambda@Edge customizes CloudFront traffic; it is not the encoder or packager. See the AWS CloudFront video guide.
Lambda@Edge runs code in response to a configured CloudFront event. AWS describes it as a way to customize the content CloudFront delivers. The function runs synchronously: CloudFront waits for it before continuing the request, so keep its work fast and avoid unnecessary downstream calls. See the Lambda@Edge guide and CloudFront trigger-event reference.
Choose the CloudFront event that matches the decision
| Event | When it runs | Useful for video when you need to… |
|---|---|---|
| Viewer request | When a viewer request reaches CloudFront, before cache lookup. | Inspect or modify viewer-facing request data before CloudFront evaluates the cache. |
| Origin request | When CloudFront forwards a request to the origin, after a cache miss. | Choose or construct an origin dynamically, or make a request change that is needed only when contacting the origin. |
| Origin response | After a response comes back from the origin. | Modify the origin response before CloudFront continues processing it. |
| Viewer response | As CloudFront returns a response to the viewer. | Modify the response at the viewer-facing end of the flow. |
These are not interchangeable hooks. An origin-request function does not run for a cache hit, while viewer-request logic is positioned before cache lookup. Use the event reference to confirm the exact event behavior for the request and response data your function needs.
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Set up a Lambda@Edge function and associate it with CloudFront
- Create the function in US East (N. Virginia). AWS requires Lambda@Edge functions to be created in this Region for association with CloudFront.
- Implement the function for one CloudFront event. Decide whether the logic belongs before cache lookup, on an origin request, or on a response. Keep synchronous work lean, and define the expected behavior for missing, malformed, or unauthorized request data.
- Publish a numbered version. CloudFront associations use a published, numbered Lambda version rather than an unpublished working copy.
- Associate that version with the relevant distribution behavior and event. Attach it to the cache behavior that serves the video paths in question, rather than assuming one association applies to every path.
- Align cache and forwarding policies with the function’s inputs. If origin-request code reads query strings, AWS requires the cache policy or origin request policy to forward all query strings. Decide deliberately which values belong in the cache key and which must be forwarded, especially if they change a manifest, destination, or authorization decision.
- Test cache hits and misses, then monitor the deployed behavior. Verify that the expected function runs on each path, that cache behavior does not mix viewer-specific responses, and that origin or authorization failures are handled safely. Recheck AWS’s current getting-started guidance and Lambda@Edge restrictions before deployment.
Pattern: route HLS requests to dynamic MediaPackage endpoints
AWS’s Media & Entertainment walkthrough, published 2023-08-23, addresses MediaPackage endpoints whose randomized prefix makes static origin registration impractical. Its pattern puts the endpoint prefix into the viewer URL path, then uses an origin-request Lambda@Edge function to reconstruct the destination domain and route the request. Because origin-request code runs only when CloudFront forwards a request to the origin, the function is invoked on cache misses—not on cached manifest or segment responses. The walkthrough demonstrates HLS and says the same approach applies to DASH or Smooth Streaming manifests. Treat it as a worked pattern, not a guarantee that current endpoint configuration or security requirements are identical: validate those for your deployment. See AWS’s dynamic MediaPackage origin-mapping walkthrough.
Design checks for dynamic routing
- Define and validate how the path identifies an allowed endpoint; do not let an untrusted viewer value select an arbitrary origin.
- Ensure the request carries every value the function needs. If it reads query strings at origin request, forward all query strings through the cache policy or origin request policy as AWS requires.
- Make the cache key consistent with the response and destination. If two requests can produce different content or access decisions, caching them as if they were equivalent can serve the wrong result.
- Test both an uncached request and a repeated request that should be a cache hit; only the former should reach origin-request logic.
Pattern: create an HLS response for on-demand conversion
A separate AWS sample uses an origin-request function to check whether a generated HLS manifest exists in S3. If it does not, the function invokes MediaConvert and returns a temporary manifest that references an intro segment; a later manifest request can retrieve the generated output. This is an example architecture for infrequently viewed or on-demand conversions, not a promise that conversion is instantaneous or a general production recommendation. Account for conversion time, retries, duplicate requests, cache behavior, and the experience of a player that asks for the manifest again. See AWS’s on-the-fly video conversion walkthrough.
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Pattern: protect private video without treating Lambda@Edge as the whole security boundary
CloudFront supports signed URLs or signed cookies for restricted content, and AWS documents approaches for limiting direct origin access. AWS’s Secure Media Delivery implementation guide also describes token validation using viewer-specific attributes and supports HLS, DASH, and CMAF. Choose an authorization design that fits the content and player, then ensure the origin cannot be accessed directly in a way that bypasses the CDN’s policy. Adding a Lambda@Edge function by itself does not secure an origin; validate the complete path from viewer to CloudFront to origin. See the CloudFront use-case guidance and AWS Secure Media Delivery guide.
Compare implementation patterns before choosing one
| Pattern | Function point and purpose | Key design consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic origin mapping | Origin request; selects or constructs a destination when CloudFront contacts the origin. | Runs on cache misses only. Forward required path or query data and ensure cache behavior matches routing. |
| Request or response customization | Viewer or origin event; changes request or response data at the needed point. | Choose based on whether logic must run before cache lookup or only when the origin is contacted; synchronous work adds request-path latency. |
| Private-content checks | Viewer-side validation or CloudFront signed URLs/cookies, with origin access controls. | Authorization, cache variation, and origin protection must work together; Lambda@Edge alone is not an origin security control. |
| On-demand HLS conversion sample | Origin request; checks for generated output, invokes MediaConvert when absent, and returns a temporary manifest in the sample. | Conversion is an external workflow, not a guaranteed immediate result. Account for repeat requests, cache policy, and player behavior. |
Restrictions and cache details to verify
Lambda@Edge has service-specific restrictions. AWS documents unsupported Lambda features including VPC access, layers, X-Ray, provisioned concurrency, and ordinary environment variables. These constraints can affect dependency design and integration choices, so verify the current restrictions and quotas rather than assuming standard Lambda capabilities apply.
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Cache behavior is part of the application logic. An origin-request function is skipped on cache hits, and a request-specific decision can be incorrect if the cache key treats distinct requests as identical. When function logic uses query strings, AWS requires all query strings to be forwarded through the cache or origin request policy. For a documented MediaPackage live workflow, AWS recommends a minimum TTL of five seconds or less; that is scoped to that setup, not a universal setting for every live stream. Consult the AWS live-streaming setup guidance and choose TTLs based on manifest freshness, segment behavior, and the specific origin workflow.
Troubleshoot common design failures
- The expected function does not run on a repeated request: if the function is associated with origin request, CloudFront does not invoke it for a cache hit. Test with a cache miss and reassess whether the logic belongs at viewer request instead.
- Routing works for one request but not another query variant: confirm the relevant query strings are forwarded, as required when origin-request code reads them, and that cache keys distinguish requests when their result must differ.
- Viewers receive a manifest or content for the wrong context: review the cache key, forwarding policy, and whether viewer-specific routing or authorization values affect the response. Do not allow cache reuse across requests that are not equivalent.
- The function cannot use a familiar Lambda capability: check Lambda@Edge’s current restrictions and quotas. In particular, AWS lists VPC access, layers, X-Ray, provisioned concurrency, and ordinary environment variables among unsupported features.
- Private content remains reachable around CloudFront: restrict direct origin access and verify the complete signed-URL, signed-cookie, or token-validation design; a function association alone does not close the origin bypass.
- An on-demand conversion request is not immediately playable: the AWS sample’s conversion path is not an instantaneous-conversion guarantee. Design for conversion completion, repeated manifest requests, and the player’s retry behavior.
Or let it run in the cloud
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