---
title: "GET /#Action=DescribeAlarms"
method: GET
path: "/#Action=DescribeAlarms"
---

# GET /#Action=DescribeAlarms

`GET /#Action=DescribeAlarms`

Retrieves the specified alarms. You can filter the results by specifying a prefix for the alarm name, the alarm state, or a prefix for any action.

To use this operation and return information about composite alarms, you must be signed on with the `cloudwatch:DescribeAlarms` permission that is scoped to `*`. You can't return information about composite alarms if your `cloudwatch:DescribeAlarms` permission has a narrower scope.

## Query parameters

- `AlarmNames` AlarmName[]
- `AlarmNamePrefix` string
- `AlarmTypes` AlarmType[]
- `ChildrenOfAlarmName` string
- `ParentsOfAlarmName` string
- `StateValue` 'OK' | 'ALARM' | 'INSUFFICIENT_DATA'
- `ActionPrefix` string
- `MaxRecords` integer
- `NextToken` string
- `Action` 'DescribeAlarms', required
- `Version` '2010-08-01', required

## Response `200`

Success

## Other responses

- `480` — InvalidNextToken

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/aws/apis/monitoring.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/aws/apis/monitoring/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/aws/monitoring/versions/40e3ac7bae8a/schema)