AWS has published AgentCore CLI v1.0.0-rc.6, a release candidate with a migration command for older projects and encryption for locally stored project credentials. It also changes several CLI workflows, making this a release worth checking before teams adopt version 1.
AWS AI Watch analysis
What happened
The release notes describe changes to AWS’s command-line tool for AgentCore projects. The new agentcore migrate command can migrate v0 projects, retain unsupported v0 resources automatically and backfill credential secret ARNs that v0 did not record. The CLI also adds compatibility support for loading v0 projects and delegating deployment.
Other changes include encrypting local project credentials at rest, supporting API key files for configuration-based projects, and adding an interactive harness shell command. The release candidate also changes the create command’s available flags and removes batch and online insights from evaluation. AWS has labelled this version rc.6, so it is a pre-release rather than a final 1.0 launch.
Our top picks
- Migration for v0 projects
The new command provides a route to migrate older projects while retaining unsupported resources automatically. - Local credential encryption
Project credentials are now encrypted at rest on the local machine. - API key files
Configuration-based projects can use API key files, giving teams another credential setup option. - Interactive harness shell
The harness gains an interactive shell command for working with agents. - Breaking evaluation and create changes
Batch and online insights are removed, while the create command is limited to four flags.
Why it matters
This is a substantial pre-release for people building and operating AgentCore projects: migration, credential handling and command changes can affect existing setups, not just new ones. The removal of evaluation features and the narrower create flags are particularly worth checking before upgrading. The release notes also list compatibility changes for v0 projects and a requirement for LiteLLM gateway configuration in the harness.
Our read
There is useful work here, especially the migration path and local credential protection. But rc.6 is a cue to test, not a suggestion to upgrade production on a Friday afternoon. Review the breaking changes against your project and deployment workflow before moving across.
What to watch
- Whether AWS changes these migration or compatibility behaviours before the final 1.0 release.
- Whether the removed evaluation features return in another form.
- Which further changes, if any, appear in the next release candidate.
Discussion spark: For a CLI approaching 1.0, what deserves priority: a safer migration path for older projects, or preserving familiar evaluation and creation workflows?
Sources and evidence
- v1.0.0-rc.6 (16 October 2026, 19:36 UTC)
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