What is an Elastic IP?
An Elastic IP (EIP) is a static IPv4 address provided by AWS. Once you allocate it and bind it to your EC2 instance, it remains constant — no matter how many times you stop, reboot, or restart the instance.
✅ Why Should Developers Use Elastic IP?
- Your IP Never Changes Without Elastic IP:
You get a new public IP every time your EC2 instance restarts.
You have to update your frontend, Postman, or any API integrations over and over.
With Elastic IP:
Your server gets a permanent public IP. Clean and hassle-free.
⚙️ How to Allocate and Use Elastic IP
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Go to your EC2 Dashboard.
In the left menu, click Elastic IPs.
Click Allocate Elastic IP address.
Choose “Amazon’s pool of IPv4 addresses”, then click Allocate.
After allocation, select the new IP → click Actions > Associate Elastic IP.
Choose your running EC2 instance and confirm.
That’s it! 🎉 Your EC2 instance now has a fixed public IP.
⚠️ Warning: Unused Elastic IPs Can Cost You!
Elastic IPs are free — but only if they’re in use.
If you allocate an Elastic IP and don’t associate it with a running EC2 instance, AWS will charge you a small hourly fee.
💡 Pro Tip:
When you're done using it:
Go to Elastic IPs
Select it
Click Actions → Release Elastic IP
Elastic IP is a small step that makes a huge difference in dev workflows. It's simple, efficient, and keeps your deployments smooth.
