CloudFormation Stack Failure: Custom::CreateWorkspace in CREATE_FAILED State

Vanamaajay — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 05:42:39 GMT

I am trying to create a workspace using AWS CloudFormation, but the stack fails with the following error:

"The resource CreateWorkspace is in a CREATE_FAILED state. This Custom::CreateWorkspace resource is in a CREATE_FAILED state. Received response status [FAILED] from custom resource."

How can I resolve this issue? Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Re: CloudFormation Stack Failure: Custom::CreateWorkspace in CREATE_FAILED State

mark_ott — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:00:10 GMT

When a CloudFormation stack fails with “The resource CreateWorkspace is in a CREATE_FAILED state” for a Custom::CreateWorkspace resource, it typically means the Lambda or service backing the custom resource returned a FAILED signal to CloudFormation or failed to send a success signal in time. Most commonly, this is due to issues inside the Lambda function, misconfiguration, or permission problems.

Common Root Causes

The Lambda (or other backing service) failed due to an error (exception, misconfiguration, missing environment variables, etc.).
The Lambda does not have the correct permissions (IAM policy issues) to perform its intended action, such as logging to CloudWatch (important for debugging).
The Lambda does not signal completion correctly to CloudFormation (it must send a response with status SUCCESS or FAILED to a presigned S3 URL, usually using the cfn-response module or equivalent).
The resource is attempting to create something that already exists, or there is a naming/resource conflict in the environment.
Resource limits are exceeded, or required resources (like subnets, security groups, VPCs, or IAM roles) are missing or improperly referenced.
If the Lambda runs out of memory or times out, CloudFormation will mark the custom resource as failed.

How to Troubleshoot and Resolve

Review the CloudFormation Events tab in the AWS Console for error details and timestamps.
Check the Lambda function’s logs in CloudWatch for traceback, error messages, or missing permissions.
Confirm the Lambda function’s IAM role includes sufficient permissions for all AWS service actions it attempts, and permissions to write logs to CloudWatch.
Ensure that the Lambda or backing service sends the CloudFormation Response using the correct format and destination URL (using the cfn-response library or similar mechanism).
If using a third-party or partner template (such as Databricks workspaces), consult vendor-specific documentation and ensure any required prerequisites (network, resource quotas, subscriptions) are set up.
Optionally, use the AWSSupport-TroubleshootCFNCustomResource runbook in AWS Systems Manager to analyze stack and custom resource errors efficiently.

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CloudFormation Stack Failure: Custom::CreateWorkspace in CREATE_FAILED State

Re: CloudFormation Stack Failure: Custom::CreateWorkspace in CREATE_FAILED State

Common Root Causes

How to Troubleshoot and Resolve