diff --git a/src/test/java/com/backend/glowhouse/aws/SnsTest.java b/src/test/java/com/backend/glowhouse/aws/SnsTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..8a96ca4bbb5e203b66454f084361a86aa81406a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/com/backend/glowhouse/aws/SnsTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+package com.backend.glowhouse.aws;
+
+import com.backend.glowhouse.aws.sns.SnsNotificationSender;
+import com.backend.glowhouse.GlowhouseApplication;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
+import org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootTest;
+import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringRunner;
+
+@RunWith(SpringRunner.class)
+@SpringBootTest(classes = {GlowhouseApplication.class, SnsNotificationSender.class})
+public class SnsTest {
+    @Autowired
+    SnsNotificationSender snsNotificationSender;
+
+    @Test
+    public void testSendToAwsSns() {
+        snsNotificationSender.sendIOCommandForLight("light", "ON");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/backend/glowhouse/aws/TestDeviceShadowApi.java b/src/test/java/com/backend/glowhouse/aws/TestDeviceShadowApi.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..a34f792db861990ae1046382d2e3c1009f2d17f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/com/backend/glowhouse/aws/TestDeviceShadowApi.java
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+package com.backend.glowhouse.aws;
+
+import com.amazonaws.services.iot.client.AWSIotException;
+import com.backend.glowhouse.GlowhouseApplication;
+import com.backend.glowhouse.controller.DeviceShadowController;
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
+import org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootTest;
+import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringRunner;
+
+@RunWith(SpringRunner.class)
+@SpringBootTest(classes = {GlowhouseApplication.class, DeviceShadowController.class})
+public class TestDeviceShadowApi {
+    @Autowired
+    DeviceShadowController deviceShadowController;
+
+    @Test
+    public void testUpdateShadow() {
+        //given a message payload for aws
+        String jsonUpdate = "{\n" +
+                "    \"state\": {\n" +
+                "        \"desired\" : {\n" +
+                "            \"lights\" : \"ON\"\n" +
+                "        }\n" +
+                "    }\n" +
+                "}";
+
+        //and a service that exposes aws topics
+        deviceShadowController.updateShadow(jsonUpdate);
+
+        //TODO: add subback to test here, for now check you see a message on aws
+        Assert.assertEquals(1, 1);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testGetShadow() throws AWSIotException {
+        //given a request to aws for a devices shadow
+        String shadow = deviceShadowController.getDeviceShadow("glowhouse");
+
+        //TODO: assert here that shadow is as expected
+        Assert.assertEquals(1, 1);
+    }
+}