Not too long ago, I decided to start learning AWS. It seemed like one of those things everyone in tech was talking about — but also kind of intimidating. There’s a ton of services, acronyms flying around, and a whole dashboard that feels like a cockpit. So I thought: Why not start small? Let’s just get a simple website live using one AWS service.

That’s how I ended up making my very first static website using Amazon S3. If you’re also just getting into AWS, this post is for you.

🧠 Why Amazon S3?
Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is basically cloud storage — you can upload files and access them from anywhere. But what I didn’t know at first is that you can actually host a static website with it. That means if your site is just HTML, CSS, and maybe some JavaScript — no backend stuff — you can host it on S3 without spinning up a server.

It sounded perfect for a beginner like me. No DevOps. No EC2. No headaches.

💻 Step 1: Building a Simple Website
I kept it super minimal. No frameworks, just plain HTML and CSS. Here’s what I used:

index.html

My First AWS Site


  Hello, AWS!
  This is my first static site hosted on S3.
  





    Enter fullscreen mode
    


    Exit fullscreen mode
    




output.jpgThat’s it. Two files. Just enough to test the process.☁️ Step 2: Creating the S3 Bucket
Here’s where the AWS part begins:Logged into the AWS Management Console.
Searched for S3 and clicked Create bucket.
Gave it a unique name (S3 bucket names are globally unique).
Unchecked “Block all public access” (important! Otherwise, no one can view your site).
Then I added a policy to only ensure my s3 object could read the stuff stored in it.
Created the bucket.
The policy I used is below. Just place the unique name of your bucket in ‘Bucket-Name’

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



    Enter fullscreen mode
    


    Exit fullscreen mode
    




At this point, I had cloud storage ready to go.🌐 Step 3: Enabling Static Website Hosting
Inside the S3 bucket:I clicked on the Properties tab.
Scrolled down to Static website hosting.
Enabled it and set index.html as the index document.
AWS gave me a URL. This would be the live address of my site.
But first, I had to upload the files and make sure they were public.📤 Step 4: Uploading and Making Files Public
Went to the Objects tab.
Uploaded both index.html and style.css.
After uploading, I selected each file, clicked Actions > Make public.
(Note: You can set a bucket policy to make everything public automatically, butif you want you can stick with manual for now — it felt safer while learning.)🔗 Step 5: Visiting My Site
With everything uploaded and public, I went back to the static hosting section in Properties and copied the Endpoint URL.I pasted it into my browser, and boom — it worked. My little website was online. No servers, no deployment tools. Just files in a bucket.🔍 What I Learned
AWS can feel like a lot, but starting with one service (like S3) makes it manageable.
Hosting a static site doesn’t need to be complicated.
Public access settings are a key part of getting S3 hosting to work.
The feeling of getting a website live — even a basic one — is honestly really satisfying.
✅ Final Thoughts
This was my first actual hands-on experience with AWS, and it went smoother than I expected. Sure, I had to Google a few things (especially around permissions), but I came away feeling a little more confident in navigating the AWS ecosystem.If you’re new to AWS and wondering where to begin — host a static website on S3. It’s simple, useful, and gives you a nice win early on.Next up for me? Maybe setting up a custom domain, adding HTTPS with CloudFront, or playing with Lambda. But for now, I’m just happy that I took the first step.