Beginner’s Guide to AWS S3 Cloud Storage

How AWS S3 Works

Let's Get Practical: Creating Your First Bucket

1. Create an AWS Account: If you don’t have one already, head to the AWS website and sign up.
2. Search for S3: After logging in, search for the S3 service in the top search bar.
3. Create a Bucket: Click the "Create Bucket" button.
4. Bucket Name: Give your bucket a unique name. Remember, the name must be globally unique!
5. Block All Public Access: You’ll see an option to block all public access. If you’re just experimenting, I recommend unchecking this.
6. Leave Default Settings: You can leave everything else at its default setting. Click "Create Bucket," and you’re done!

Uploading Files to Your Bucket

1. Go to S3: From the AWS dashboard, go to the S3 service.
2. Select Your Bucket: Find the bucket you created and click on it.
3. Upload: Click the "Upload" button.
4. Add Files: You can either drag and drop your files or use the "Add Files" button.
5. Upload: Scroll down and click the "Upload" button to upload your file.

Accessing an Object in S3

1. Go to Permissions: After selecting your bucket, go to the "Permissions" tab.
2. Edit Bucket Policies: Click on the "Edit" button in front of "Bucket Policy."
3. Paste This Policy: Add the following JSON policy to allow public read access and save changes. Don’t forget to replace {BUCKET-NAME} with your actual bucket name.

{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Sid": "PublicReadGetObject",
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Principal": "*",
            "Action": "s3:GetObject",
            "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::{BUCKET-NAME}/*"
        }
    ]
}

{BUCKET-NAME}.s3.amazonaws.com/{OBJECT-KEY}

s3.amazon.aws.com/{BUCKET-NAME}/{OBJECT-KEY}

What's Next?

Final Thoughts