AWS SDKs and Tools Update Retry Behavior

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced significant updates to the retry behavior within its Software Development Kits (SDKs) and associated tools. The revised functionality is designed to enhance how applications manage transient errors and network latency, aiming for more consistent performance across AWS services.

The update intends to ensure that SDKs either cease retrying more rapidly when a failure occurs or wait longer before attempting again in cases of transactional errors. Previously, default retry behaviors varied across different SDKs, potentially leading to excessively long wait times or, conversely, persistent retries during extended outages. The new, standardized defaults are engineered to improve overall error management.

Customers can voluntarily opt into the updated behavior starting immediately. This applies to all AWS SDKs, as well as the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) and AWS Tools for PowerShell. The new defaults will be fully implemented in November 2026, replacing the current inconsistent settings.

The changes primarily affect the standard and adaptive retry modes. The standard mode, which is the default for most SDKs, now incorporates a retry quota and exponential backoff with jitter. This mechanism assists in faster resolution of failures during outages by reducing client traffic load during persistent issues. The older legacy mode, which was inconsistent and lacked a retry quota, is being superseded by the new standard.