policy_type

Type string
Default iam

Type of policy to create. Valid values: iam (standard IAM policy), scp (Service Control Policy for Organizations), boundary (Permission Boundary).

Policy Types

The module supports three types of access policies:

IAM Policy (iam)

Standard IAM policies that can be attached to users, groups, or roles. Use for granting permissions within a single AWS account.

policy_type = "iam"

Service Control Policy (scp)

Organization-level policies that define the maximum permissions for member accounts. SCPs don’t grant permissions but set guardrails.

policy_type = "scp"

Permission Boundary (boundary)

Advanced feature that sets the maximum permissions an IAM entity can have. Even if a policy grants broader access, the boundary limits what’s actually permitted.

policy_type = "boundary"

Choosing the Right Type

Use CaseRecommended Type
Grant permissions to a roleiam
Enforce organization-wide restrictionsscp
Delegate IAM administration safelyboundary
Restrict developer-created rolesboundary

Full Module Example

module "access_policy" {
  source  = "registry.patterneddesigns.ca/governance/access-policy/aws"
  version = "0.1.0"

  # policy_type
  policy_type = "..."

  # Other required inputs
  policy_name = "..."
}