Learn how to host your static website on Amazon S3 quickly and cost-effectively.

# Introduction

Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is an excellent option for hosting static websites. It’s cost-effective, scalable, and easy to configure. In this guide, you’ll learn how to set up static website hosting on S3.

# What You’ll Need

• AWS account
• Static website (HTML, CSS, JS files)
• Domain name (optional)

# Step-by-Step Guide

## 1. Create an S3 Bucket

1. Access the AWS Console
2. Navigate to S3 service
3. Click “Create bucket”
4. Choose a unique name for your bucket
5. Select your preferred region
6. Uncheck “Block all public access”
7. Click “Create bucket”

## 2. Upload Your Website Files

1. Open your created bucket
2. Click “Upload”
3. Add your website files
4. Make sure you have an index.html file

## 3. Configure Static Website Hosting

1. In your bucket, go to “Properties” tab
2. Scroll down to “Static website hosting”
3. Click “Edit”
4. Select “Enable”
5. Set index document: index.html
6. Set error document: error.html (optional)
7. Save changes

## 4. Configure Bucket Policy

Add this policy to make your files publicly readable:

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

Replace YOUR-BUCKET-NAME with your actual bucket name.

## 5. Access Your Website

Your website will be available at:

http://YOUR-BUCKET-NAME.s3-website-REGION.amazonaws.com

# Adding a Custom Domain

To use your own domain:

1. Configure Route 53 or your DNS provider
2. Create a CNAME record pointing to your S3 endpoint
3. Consider using CloudFront for HTTPS and better performance

# Benefits of S3 Hosting

• Low cost: Pay only for storage and bandwidth used
• High availability: 99.999999999% (11 9’s) durability
• Scalability: Handles traffic spikes automatically
• Easy deployment: Simple file upload process

# Limitations

• Only supports static content
• No server-side processing
• Limited to HTTP (HTTPS requires CloudFront)

# Conclusion

Amazon S3 is an excellent choice for hosting static websites. It’s simple to set up, cost-effective, and highly reliable. For more advanced features like HTTPS and CDN, consider adding CloudFront to your setup.

Need help with AWS or web development? Feel free to contact me!