How to access HTTP headers for request to AWS API Gateway using Lambda?

You can use the following Mapping Template in the Integration Request to generically map all path, query, and header parameters into the Lambda event. You will still need to register them in the Method Request section of the API Gateway but you can at least decouple the Mapping Template from the specific parameters you want to use. This way you don't have to change the Mapping Template code each time you change headers, query, or path parameters.

I wrote a blog post that gives more detail and some explanation of the Mapping Template: http://kennbrodhagen.net/2015/12/06/how-to-create-a-request-object-for-your-lambda-event-from-api-gateway/

Here is the Mapping Template you can use:

{
  "method": "$context.httpMethod",
  "body" : $input.json('$'),
  "headers": {
    #foreach($param in $input.params().header.keySet())
    "$param": "$util.escapeJavaScript($input.params().header.get($param))" #if($foreach.hasNext),#end

    #end
  },
  "queryParams": {
    #foreach($param in $input.params().querystring.keySet())
    "$param": "$util.escapeJavaScript($input.params().querystring.get($param))" #if($foreach.hasNext),#end

    #end
  },
  "pathParams": {
    #foreach($param in $input.params().path.keySet())
    "$param": "$util.escapeJavaScript($input.params().path.get($param))" #if($foreach.hasNext),#end

    #end
  }  
}

First, you need to trap the Authorization header from the HTTP GET request. Then you need to map that value to the Lambda event object.

Go to the API method dashboard and click on Method Request. In there you can add an HTTP Request Header called Authorization as shown below.

This will trap the Authorization header so you can use it later.

Now go back to the method dashboard and click on Integration Request. From here you can pass the value of the header into the Lambda function by using a mapping like this.

{
    "Authorization": "$input.params('Authorization')"
}

Now in your Lambda function you can get the value like this.

event.Authorization

You need to create input mapping inside Integration Request panel on the dashboard screen describing your API method.

Following code translates name query input parameter into Lambda Event input object:

{
   "name": "$input.params('name')"
}

Screenshot:

You can find more info about this in the original API Gateway to Lambda input thread on AWS Forums.

while this is an old thread, I have found it best to use lambda proxy integration for the purpose. With this you do not have to configure anything in the API gateway and you get all the headers in your lambda function...

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/apigateway/latest/developerguide/set-up-lambda-proxy-integrations.html