diff --git a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/cloud/amazon/GUIDELINES.md b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/cloud/amazon/GUIDELINES.md
index ee5aea90ef7..0c831946be6 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/modules/extras/cloud/amazon/GUIDELINES.md
+++ b/lib/ansible/modules/extras/cloud/amazon/GUIDELINES.md
@@ -1,8 +1,21 @@
-Guidelines for AWS modules
---------------------------
+# Guidelines for AWS modules
 
-Naming your module
-==================
+## Getting Started
+
+Since Ansible 2.0, it is a requirement that all new AWS modules are written to use boto3.
+
+Prior to 2.0, modules may of been written in boto or boto3. Modules written using boto can continue to be extended using boto.
+
+Backward compatibility of older modules must be maintained.
+
+## Bug fixing
+
+If you are writing a bugfix for a module that uses boto, you should continue to use boto to maintain backward compatibility.
+
+If you are adding new functionality to an existing module that uses boto but the new functionality requires boto3, you
+must maintain backward compatibility of the module and ensure the module still works without boto3.
+
+## Naming your module
 
 Base the name of the module on the part of AWS that
 you actually use. (A good rule of thumb is to take
@@ -13,76 +26,197 @@ known abbreviation due to it being a major component of
 AWS, that's fine, but don't create new ones independently
 (e.g. VPC, ELB, etc. are fine)
 
-Using boto
-==========
+## Adding new features
+
+Try and keep backward compatibility with relatively recent
+versions of boto. That means that if want to implement some
+functionality that uses a new feature of boto, it should only
+fail if that feature actually needs to be run, with a message
+saying which version of boto is needed.
 
-Wrap the `import` statements in a try block and fail the
-module later on if the import fails
+Use feature testing (e.g. `hasattr('boto.module', 'shiny_new_method')`)
+to check whether boto supports a feature rather than version checking
 
+e.g. from the `ec2` module:
+```python
+if boto_supports_profile_name_arg(ec2):
+    params['instance_profile_name'] = instance_profile_name
+else:
+    if instance_profile_name is not None:
+        module.fail_json(msg="instance_profile_name parameter requires boto version 2.5.0 or higher")
 ```
+
+## Using boto and boto3
+
+### Importing
+
+Wrap import statements in a try block and fail the module later if the import fails
+
+#### boto
+
+```python
 try:
-    import boto
-    import boto.module.that.you.use
+    import boto.ec2
+    from boto.exception import BotoServerError
     HAS_BOTO = True
 except ImportError:
     HAS_BOTO = False
 
-<lots of code here>
-
 def main():
-    argument_spec = ec2_argument_spec()
-    argument_spec.update(
-        dict(
-            module_specific_parameter=dict(),
-        )
-    )
-
-    module = AnsibleModule(
-        argument_spec=argument_spec,
-    )
+
     if not HAS_BOTO:
         module.fail_json(msg='boto required for this module')
 ```
 
+#### boto3
 
-Try and keep backward compatibility with relatively recent
-versions of boto. That means that if want to implement some
-functionality that uses a new feature of boto, it should only 
-fail if that feature actually needs to be run, with a message
-saying which version of boto is needed.
+```python
+try:
+    import boto3
+    HAS_BOTO3 = True
+except ImportError:
+    HAS_BOTO3 = False
 
-Use feature testing (e.g. `hasattr('boto.module', 'shiny_new_method')`)
-to check whether boto supports a feature rather than version checking
+def main():
 
-e.g. from the `ec2` module:
+    if not HAS_BOTO:
+        module.fail_json(msg='boto required for this module')
 ```
-if boto_supports_profile_name_arg(ec2):
-    params['instance_profile_name'] = instance_profile_name
-else:
-    if instance_profile_name is not None:
-        module.fail_json(
-            msg="instance_profile_name parameter requires Boto version 2.5.0 or higher")
+
+#### boto and boto3 combined
+
+If you want to add boto3 functionality to a module written using boto, you must maintain backward compatibility.
+Ensure that you clearly document if a new parameter requires boto3. Import boto3 at the top of the
+module as normal and then use the HAS_BOTO3 bool when necessary, before the new feature.
+
+```python
+try:
+    import boto
+    HAS_BOTO = True
+except ImportError:
+    HAS_BOTO = False
+
+try:
+    import boto3
+    HAS_BOTO3 = True
+except ImportError:
+    HAS_BOTO3 = False
+
+if my_new_feauture_Parameter_is_set:
+    if HAS_BOTO3:
+        # do feature
+    else:
+        module.fail_json(msg="boto3 is required for this feature")
 ```
 
+### Connecting to AWS
+
+To connect to AWS, you should use `get_aws_connection_info` and then
+`connect_to_aws`.
+
+The reason for using `get_aws_connection_info` and `connect_to_aws` rather than doing it
+yourself is that they handle some of the more esoteric connection
+options such as security tokens and boto profiles.
+
+Some boto services require region to be specified. You should check for the region parameter if required.
 
-Connecting to AWS
-=================
+#### boto
 
-For EC2 you can just use
+An example of connecting to ec2:
 
+```python
+region, ec2_url, aws_connect_params = get_aws_connection_info(module)
+if region:
+    try:
+        connection = connect_to_aws(boto.ec2, region, **aws_connect_params)
+    except (boto.exception.NoAuthHandlerFound, AnsibleAWSError), e:
+        module.fail_json(msg=str(e))
+else:
+    module.fail_json(msg="region must be specified")
 ```
-ec2 = ec2_connect(module)
+
+#### boto3
+
+An example of connecting to ec2 is shown below.  Note that there is no 'NoAuthHandlerFound' exception handling like in boto.
+Instead, an AuthFailure exception will be thrown when you use 'connection'. See exception handling.
+
+```python
+region, ec2_url, aws_connect_params = get_aws_connection_info(module, boto3=True)
+if region:
+    connection = boto3_conn(module, conn_type='client', resource='ec2', region=region, endpoint=ec2_url, **aws_connect_params)
+else:
+    module.fail_json(msg="region must be specified")
 ```
 
-For other modules, you should use `get_aws_connection_info` and then
-`connect_to_aws`. To connect to an example `xyz` service:
+### Exception Handling
+
+You should wrap any boto call in a try block. If an exception is thrown, it is up to you decide how to handle it
+but usually calling fail_json with the error message will suffice.
+
+#### boto
+
+```python
+# Import BotoServerError
+try:
+    import boto.ec2
+    from boto.exception import BotoServerError
+    HAS_BOTO = True
+except ImportError:
+    HAS_BOTO = False
+
+# Connect to AWS
+...
 
+# Make a call to AWS
+try:
+    result = connection.aws_call()
+except BotoServerError, e:
+    module.fail_json(msg=e.message)
 ```
-region, ec2_url, aws_connect_params = get_aws_connection_info(module)
-xyz = connect_to_aws(boto.xyz, region, **aws_connect_params)
+
+#### boto3
+
+For more information on botocore exception handling see [http://botocore.readthedocs.org/en/latest/client_upgrades.html#error-handling]
+
+```python
+# Import ClientError from botocore
+try:
+    from botocore.exceptions import ClientError
+    HAS_BOTO3 = True
+except ImportError:
+    HAS_BOTO3 = False
+
+# Connect to AWS
+...
+
+# Make a call to AWS
+try:
+    result = connection.aws_call()
+except ClientError, e:
+    module.fail_json(msg=e.message)
 ```
 
-The reason for using `get_aws_connection_info` and `connect_to_aws`
-(and even `ec2_connect` uses those under the hood) rather than doing it
-yourself is that they handle some of the more esoteric connection
-options such as security tokens and boto profiles.
+### Helper functions
+
+Along with the connection functions in Ansible ec2.py module_utils, there are some other useful functions detailed below.
+
+#### camel_dict_to_snake_dict
+
+boto3 returns results in a dict.  The keys of the dict are in CamelCase format. In keeping
+with Ansible format, this function will convert the keys to snake_case.
+
+#### ansible_dict_to_boto3_filter_list
+
+Converts a an Ansible list of filters to a boto3 friendly list of dicts.  This is useful for
+any boto3 _facts modules.
+
+#### boto3_tag_list_to_ansible_dict
+
+Converts a boto3 tag list to an Ansible dict. Boto3 returns tags as a list of dicts containing keys called
+'Key' and 'Value'. This function converts this list in to a single dict where the dict key is the tag
+key and the dict value is the tag value.
+
+#### ansible_dict_to_boto3_tag_list
+
+Opposite of above. Converts an Ansible dict to a boto3 tag list of dicts.
+