"How to Host Your Static Website on AWS S3: A Complete Beginner’s Guide"

Published by Alok

AWS S3 is a reliable and scalable cloud storage service provided by Amazon, ideal for hosting static websites. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced developer, hosting a static website on S3 is straightforward and cost-effective. This comprehensive guide will take you through the process step by step.

1. Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure you have the following:

• An active AWS account. The AWS free tier is sufficient for hosting small static websites.
• Your static website files ready, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Basic knowledge of AWS services and domain configuration, though not mandatory, will be helpful.

With these prerequisites in place, let's move on to creating the S3 bucket.

2. Create an S3 Bucket

Log in to your AWS Management Console and navigate to the S3 service from the Services menu. Click on Create Bucket to start the process. In the "Bucket Name" field, enter a unique name that adheres to S3 naming conventions, such as my-static-site. Select a region close to your target audience for better performance.

In the settings, uncheck the Block Public Access checkbox to ensure that your website can be publicly accessed after setup. Review the configuration, leave other settings as default unless required, and then click Create Bucket to finalize.

Log in to AWS Management Console:

• Navigate to the S3 service.

Create a Bucket:

• Click Create Bucket.
• Provide a unique bucket name (e.g., my-static-site).
• Choose a region close to your target audience.
• Uncheck the Block Public Access setting (to make the website accessible).

Configure Bucket Options:

• Leave other settings default unless customization is required.
• Click Create Bucket.

3. Upload Website Files

Once your bucket is created, click on it to open its dashboard. In the Objects section, click the Upload button, and add your static website files. For example, your main files could be index.html (your homepage), style.css (for design), and other necessary assets like images or JavaScript files. Ensure that all files are uploaded by clicking Upload after confirmation.

Select the Bucket:

• Open the bucket you just created.

Upload Files:

• Click Upload > Add files.
• Upload your static website files (e.g., index.html, style.css, etc.).
• Click Upload after confirming.

4. Enable Static Website Hosting

To enable your bucket to host your static website, go to the Properties tab of the bucket. Scroll down to locate the Static Website Hosting section. Enable this feature and specify the entry point of your website by entering the file name of your homepage, usually index.html, in the Index Document field. If you have a custom error page, specify its name, such as 404.html, in the Error Document field. Finally, save the changes to enable hosting.

5. Set Bucket Permissions and Policy

For your website to be publicly accessible, you must modify the bucket permissions. Go to the Permissions tab and click on Bucket Policy. Add the following JSON snippet to grant public read access to your files:

json
{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Principal": "*",
      "Action": "s3:GetObject",
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::my-static-site/*"
    }
  ]
}
        

Replace my-static-site with your actual bucket name. Save the policy once completed. This step ensures that visitors can view your website content through the S3-hosted URL.

6. Test Your Website

After setting up, it's time to test your website. Go back to the Properties tab and look for the Static Website Hosting section. Here, you will find a URL provided by AWS for your hosted website. Open this URL in your browser to confirm everything is working correctly. Your website should now be live and accessible.

7. (Optional) Configure a Custom Domain

If you want to use a custom domain name for your S3-hosted website, the process involves a few additional steps. First, purchase a domain using AWS Route 53 or any other domain registrar. Link your domain to your S3 bucket by creating a DNS alias or A record pointing to your bucket. Finally, for enhanced security and SEO benefits, enable HTTPS for your custom domain by using AWS CloudFront to serve your content securely.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effortlessly host your static website on AWS S3. This method not only saves costs but also leverages the scalability and reliability of AWS infrastructure. Whether for a personal portfolio, blog, or small business website, S3 is a fantastic solution. Remember, for an added professional touch, configure a custom domain and enable HTTPS for a secure, user-friendly experience. Now your static website is ready to shine on the web!