- A
Add an AWS Lambda function as a transition action between the build and deploy stages that sends an email to the approver and waits for a response.
Why wrong: Lambda cannot pause the pipeline; it would need to invoke another service to wait.
- B
Create a CodeDeploy deployment group with a manual approval step in the deployment configuration.
Why wrong: CodeDeploy does not have a built-in manual approval step in deployment groups.
- C
Configure an Amazon SNS topic to send an approval request email to the approver, and use a Lambda function to resume the pipeline upon approval.
Why wrong: SNS alone cannot resume the pipeline; the approval must be integrated with CodePipeline.
- D
Add a manual approval action to the pipeline between the build and deploy stages, and configure the SNS topic to notify the approvers.
CodePipeline supports manual approval actions that pause the pipeline until approved.
Quick Answer
The correct action is to add a manual approval action to the pipeline between the build and deploy stages, and configure the SNS topic to notify the approvers. This is because AWS CodePipeline’s native manual approval step pauses the pipeline execution at that point, sending a notification through an Amazon SNS topic to a list of authorized approvers; the pipeline only resumes when an approved user clicks the “Approve” button in the console or calls the API, ensuring no unauthorized deployment proceeds. On the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 exam, this concept tests your understanding of pipeline governance and the integration of SNS with approval actions—a common trap is assuming you need a separate Lambda function or a third-party tool to pause the pipeline, when in fact the manual approval action is a built-in stage type. Remember the mnemonic “Pause, Notify, Approve” (PNA) to recall the three-step flow: the pipeline pauses, SNS notifies, and the approver clicks to continue.
DOP-C02 Configuration Management and IaC Practice Question
This DOP-C02 practice question tests your understanding of configuration management and iac. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A DevOps team is using AWS CodePipeline to automate deployments. The pipeline has a source stage (CodeCommit), a build stage (CodeBuild), and a deploy stage (CodeDeploy). The team wants to add a manual approval step before the deploy stage to ensure that only authorized personnel can approve production deployments. Which action should be taken to implement this requirement?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Add a manual approval action to the pipeline between the build and deploy stages, and configure the SNS topic to notify the approvers.
Option D is correct because AWS CodePipeline natively supports a manual approval action that can be inserted as a stage between build and deploy. This action pauses the pipeline and sends a notification via an SNS topic to the configured approvers. The pipeline only resumes when an authorized user clicks the 'Approve' button in the CodePipeline console or API, ensuring that only authorized personnel can approve production deployments.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Add an AWS Lambda function as a transition action between the build and deploy stages that sends an email to the approver and waits for a response.
Why it's wrong here
Lambda cannot pause the pipeline; it would need to invoke another service to wait.
- ✗
Create a CodeDeploy deployment group with a manual approval step in the deployment configuration.
Why it's wrong here
CodeDeploy does not have a built-in manual approval step in deployment groups.
- ✗
Configure an Amazon SNS topic to send an approval request email to the approver, and use a Lambda function to resume the pipeline upon approval.
Why it's wrong here
SNS alone cannot resume the pipeline; the approval must be integrated with CodePipeline.
- ✓
Add a manual approval action to the pipeline between the build and deploy stages, and configure the SNS topic to notify the approvers.
Why this is correct
CodePipeline supports manual approval actions that pause the pipeline until approved.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse CodeDeploy's deployment configuration options (like traffic shifting or validation hooks) with pipeline-level approval actions, or they assume a custom Lambda function can replace the native approval action, missing the fact that CodePipeline provides a fully managed, auditable approval workflow.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the manual approval action in CodePipeline uses an SNS topic to send a notification with a link to the CodePipeline console where the approver can review details and approve or reject. The pipeline execution remains in a 'Waiting' state until the approval action is completed via the AWS SDK, CLI, or console. This mechanism ensures that the pipeline does not proceed until explicit approval is granted, which is critical for compliance in production deployments where change management processes require sign-off.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DOP-C02 question test?
Configuration Management and IaC — This question tests Configuration Management and IaC — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add a manual approval action to the pipeline between the build and deploy stages, and configure the SNS topic to notify the approvers. — Option D is correct because AWS CodePipeline natively supports a manual approval action that can be inserted as a stage between build and deploy. This action pauses the pipeline and sends a notification via an SNS topic to the configured approvers. The pipeline only resumes when an authorized user clicks the 'Approve' button in the CodePipeline console or API, ensuring that only authorized personnel can approve production deployments.
What should I do if I get this DOP-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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