Introduction
In the previous article, we learned the theory behind Amazon S3.
Now it is time to see Amazon S3 in action.
In this hands-on project, we will:
- Create an S3 bucket
- Upload files
- Understand Objects inside S3
- Enable Bucket Versioning
- Create IAM User
- Control access using Bucket Policies
- Host a Static Website using S3
By the end of this article, we will understand some of the most commonly used Amazon S3 features.
Step 1: Create an S3 Bucket
Login to AWS Console.
Search for S3.
Open the dashboard.
Click on Create Bucket.
Provide:
Bucket Name
Give your bucket a name, for example:
my-learning-notes-example
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Bucket names must be globally unique.
For now, leave all the remaining settings as default.
Click on Create Bucket.
Step 2: Explore the Bucket
Open the bucket you just created.
Initially, you will notice:
Objects (0)
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because the bucket is empty.
Think of a bucket as a folder that stores files.
Step 3: Upload Your First Object
Click on:
Upload
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Then click:
Add files
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Choose any file.
Click:
Upload
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After the upload finishes, you will see the file inside the bucket.
In Amazon S3, every uploaded file is called an Object.
Now if you look inside the bucket, you will notice that Objects are no longer zero because we have uploaded a file.
Step 4: Explore Object Options
Click on the uploaded Object.
Explore the options:
Open
Select the file and click Open.
It will display the contents of the file.
Download
Select the file and click Download.
The file will be downloaded to your system.
Delete
If you select Delete, AWS will ask for confirmation before deleting the object.
This helps you understand how S3 manages objects.
Step 5: Enable Bucket Versioning
Suppose you upload:
demo-learning-s3.txt
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Later, you modify the file and upload it again.
Without versioning, the old file gets overwritten.
Versioning allows you to preserve previous versions.
Go to:
Bucket → Properties
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Scroll to:
Bucket Versioning
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Click:
Edit
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Choose:
Enable
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Click:
Save Changes
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Now if you check the bucket properties, you can see that versioning is enabled.
Step 6: Upload a New Version
Modify your file.
Before
AWS S3 Notes version 1
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After
AWS S3 Notes version 2
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Upload the file again using the same filename.
Now open the Object.
Click:
Versions
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You will see multiple versions.
This is similar to maintaining history in Git.
Step 7: Create an IAM User
In AWS Console, search for:
IAM
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Go to:
IAM → Users → Create User
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Give a name:
demo-s3-user
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Assign a password.
Click:
Create User
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Step 8: Verify Permissions
Open an Incognito browser.
Login using the IAM user credentials.
Try accessing the Amazon S3 bucket.
Also try creating a bucket.
Initially, you will receive permission errors.
This happens because the user has no S3 permissions.
Step 9: Grant S3 Permissions
Login as the root/Admin user.
Open:
IAM → Users → demo-s3-user
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Click:
Add Permissions
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Attach:
AmazonS3FullAccess
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Click:
Save
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Now refresh the IAM user session.
The demo-s3-user can now access S3.
Step 10: Explore Bucket Permissions
Open:
S3 → Bucket → Permissions
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You will notice:
- Bucket Policies
- Block Public Access
- Access Control
These settings provide an additional security layer.
Even if IAM permissions are accidentally misconfigured, Bucket Policies can still protect your bucket.
Step 11: Enable Static Website Hosting
Create a simple index.html file.
Upload this file to your bucket.
Now go to:
Bucket → Properties
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Scroll to:
Static Website Hosting
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Click:
Edit
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Enable:
Static Website Hosting
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Set:
Index Document: index.html
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Click:
Save Changes
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AWS will generate a website endpoint.
Try accessing the website endpoint URL.
You will notice that you still cannot access it even if you have S3 Full Access.
This happens because there are still S3 permissions blocking public access.
Step 12: Remove Public Access Block
Go to:
Permissions
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Locate:
Block Public Access
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Click:
Edit
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Disable public access.
Confirm the warning.
When you try to access the URL again, you may still receive:
403 Forbidden
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Although Static Website Hosting is enabled, the files inside the bucket are still private.
AWS requires explicit permission before users on the internet can read objects inside an S3 bucket.
To solve this, we need to create a Bucket Policy.
Step 13: Add Bucket Policy for Public Read
Go to:
Permissions → Bucket Policy → Edit
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Click:
Add New Statement
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Initially, AWS provides a template similar to:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Sid": "Statement1",
"Principal": {},
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": [],
"Resource": []
}
]
}
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We need to fill these values.
Understanding the Fields
Sid
Used to identify the policy statement.
"Sid": "PublicReadGetObject"
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Principal
Defines who the rule applies to.
"Principal": "*"
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The * means anyone on the internet.
Effect
Specifies whether AWS should allow or deny the action.
"Effect": "Allow"
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Action
Defines which permission we are granting.
"Action": "s3:GetObject"
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This allows users to read objects inside the bucket.
Resource
Specifies which bucket objects the rule applies to.
Example:
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::YOUR_BUCKET_NAME/*"
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Replace YOUR_BUCKET_NAME with your actual bucket name.
The /* means apply the rule to all objects inside the bucket.
My bucket name is:
my-learning-notes-example
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Therefore, the policy becomes:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Sid": "Statement1",
"Principal": "*",
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": "s3:GetObject",
"Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-learning-notes-example/*"
}
]
}
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Click:
Save Changes
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Note: Replace
my-learning-notes-examplewith your own bucket name.
Step 14: Access the Website
Go back to:
Bucket → Properties
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Scroll down to:
Static Website Hosting
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Copy the:
Bucket Website Endpoint URL
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Paste it into your browser.
Now, instead of receiving the 403 Forbidden error, your webpage should load successfully.
Congratulations 🎉
You have successfully hosted your first static website using Amazon S3.
Key Takeaways
In this hands-on project, we learned how to:
- ✅ Create an S3 bucket
- ✅ Upload objects
- ✅ Understand bucket and object concepts
- ✅ Enable versioning
- ✅ Create IAM users
- ✅ Understand permissions
- ✅ Explore bucket policies
- ✅ Host a static website
What’s Next?
In the next article, we will explore another important AWS service and continue building our cloud learning journey.
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