Learn how to host a static website on Amazon S3. A simple, step-by-step guide to deploying your HTML, CSS, and images for portfolios or landing pages.
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Hosting a website doesn’t always require expensive servers or complex configurations. If you’re working with just HTML, CSS, and images, Amazon S3 offers a simple, affordable solution.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to host a static website using Amazon S3, perfect for portfolios, landing pages, or learning projects.
What is Amazon S3?
Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is a storage service by AWS (Amazon Web Services). You can upload files and access them over the internet.
- Good news: It’s free under the AWS Free Tier (5 GB for 12 months).
- Better news: It’s super cheap even after that.
Step-by-step: hosting a static website on S3
1. Log in to the AWS Console
Go to aws.amazon.com and sign in. Search for S3 in the top bar, and click it.
2. Create a bucket
- Click Create bucket.
- Enter a unique name, like
mystaticwebsite-abdi(bucket names must be globally unique). - Choose a region (stick with the default or choose closest to your users).
- Scroll to the bottom and click Create bucket (leave settings as-is).
3. Enable static website hosting
- Go to your bucket and click on the Properties tab.
- Scroll down to Static website hosting and click Edit.
- Choose Enable.
- Enter
index.htmlas the index document. - Click Save.
After saving, scroll down again — you’ll see a Website endpoint URL. That’s your site link!
4. Fix the 403 Forbidden error
If you visit the endpoint now, you’ll see a 403 Forbidden error. That’s because S3 blocks public access by default.
5. Allow public access
- Go to the Permissions tab.
- Under Block public access (bucket settings), click Edit.
- Uncheck Block all public access.
- Acknowledge the warning and click Save changes.
6. Set a bucket policy
To allow the internet to read your files:
- Still under Permissions, go to Bucket policy and click Edit.
- Paste the following policy and replace
mystaticwebsite-joewith your actual bucket name:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Sid": "PublicReadGetObject",
"Effect": "Allow",
"Principal": "*",
"Action": ["s3:GetObject"],
"Resource": ["arn:aws:s3:::mystaticwebsite-joe/*"]
}
]
}7. Upload your website files
- Go to the Objects tab.
- Click Upload, then add your
index.htmlalong with any other CSS, images, or assets your site needs. - Click Upload.
8. Launch your website!
- Go back to the Properties tab and scroll to Static website hosting.
- Click your Endpoint link.
🎉 Your site is now live on the internet!
Thanks for reading! Got questions or feedback? Drop them below 👇