AWS logging is the practice of aggregating, normalizing, indexing, and analyzing log data from cloud-based applications on AWS. Log data consists of machine-generated records of events, user activity, and transactions that take place within an application or cloud service. Effective log management starts with understanding the strengths and limitations of native AWS monitoring tools, such as CloudWatch and CloudTrail. Storing raw log data in an AWS S3 data lake is crucial for effective analysis, while considering longer data retention windows can provide deeper access to retrospective log data. Avoiding general-purpose observability solutions and collecting and analyzing all log data centrally are also essential best practices for optimizing log management in AWS. By centralizing logs using AWS S3 as a data lake and building a best-of-breed observability stack, users can make the most of their logs and reduce AWS log costs while improving scalability and usability.