Static website hosting on S3 in AWS - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Static website hosting on S3

Create S3 Bucket

↓

Upload Website Files

↓

Enable Static Website Hosting

↓

Set Index Document

↓

Set Error Document (optional)

↓

Set Bucket Policy for Public Access

↓

Access Website via Endpoint URL

This flow shows the steps to host a static website on S3: create bucket, upload files, enable hosting, set documents, allow public access, then access the site.

Execution Sample

AWS

aws s3 mb s3://my-static-site
aws s3 cp ./site-content s3://my-static-site --recursive
aws s3 website s3://my-static-site/ --index-document index.html --error-document error.html
aws s3api put-bucket-policy --bucket my-static-site --policy file://policy.json

Commands to create a bucket, upload files, enable website hosting, and set a public access policy.

Process Table

Step	Action	Result	Details
1	Create S3 bucket	Bucket created	Bucket 'my-static-site' is ready
2	Upload files	Files uploaded	All website files copied to bucket
3	Enable website hosting	Hosting enabled	Index: index.html, Error: error.html set
4	Set bucket policy	Policy applied	Bucket is publicly readable
5	Access website	Website loads	Site accessible via S3 website endpoint URL
6	Test error page	Error page shown	Non-existent page shows error.html

💡 Website is live and publicly accessible via the S3 website endpoint

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	Final
Bucket	None	my-static-site created	my-static-site with files	Hosting enabled	Public policy set	Website live
Files	None	None	Uploaded	Uploaded	Uploaded	Uploaded
Hosting	Disabled	Disabled	Disabled	Enabled	Enabled	Enabled
Policy	None	None	None	None	Public read	Public read

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we need to set a bucket policy for public access?

Without the public read policy (see step 4 in execution_table), the website files cannot be accessed by anyone, so the site won't load.

What happens if the index document is not set?

If the index document is missing (step 3), accessing the root URL will not show the homepage, causing confusion or errors.

Why do we test the error page?

Testing the error page (step 6) ensures users see a friendly message when visiting non-existent pages, improving user experience.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the state of the bucket after step 2?

A Bucket created but no files uploaded

B Hosting enabled on bucket

C Bucket created with files uploaded

D Bucket policy set to public

💡 Hint

Check the 'Result' and 'Details' columns for step 2 in execution_table

At which step does the website become publicly accessible?

A Step 4

B Step 3

C Step 1

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look for when the bucket policy is applied to allow public read access in execution_table

If the bucket policy is not set, what will happen when accessing the website?

A Only index document loads

B Access denied error occurs

C Website loads normally

D Error document loads

💡 Hint

Refer to key_moments about the importance of bucket policy for public access

Concept Snapshot

Static website hosting on S3:
- Create an S3 bucket
- Upload your website files
- Enable static website hosting with index and error documents
- Set bucket policy to allow public read access
- Access your site via the S3 website endpoint URL

Full Transcript

To host a static website on Amazon S3, first create a bucket. Then upload your website files like HTML, CSS, and images. Next, enable static website hosting on the bucket and specify the index and error documents. After that, set a bucket policy to allow public read access so anyone can view your site. Finally, access your website using the S3 website endpoint URL. Testing the error page ensures users see a friendly message if they visit a missing page.

Practice

1. What is the first step to host a static website on AWS S3?

easy

A. Set up a database

B. Upload files to EC2

C. Configure a Lambda function

D. Create an S3 bucket

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the hosting process

   Hosting a static website on S3 starts by creating a storage space called a bucket.

2. Step 2: Identify the correct initial action

   Before uploading files or configuring anything else, you must create the bucket to hold your website files.

3. Final Answer:

   Create an S3 bucket -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   First step = Create bucket [OK]

Hint: Start by making a bucket to hold your website files [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to upload files before creating a bucket
• Confusing S3 with EC2 for hosting
• Setting up Lambda or database unnecessarily

2. Which of the following is the correct way to enable static website hosting on an S3 bucket?

easy

A. Enable 'Static website hosting' in bucket properties and specify index document

B. Set bucket policy to private and upload files

C. Create an IAM user with full access to the bucket

D. Attach an EC2 instance to the bucket

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate the static website hosting setting

   In the S3 bucket properties, there is an option to enable static website hosting where you specify the index document.

2. Step 2: Understand the correct configuration

   Enabling static website hosting and setting the index document allows the bucket to serve web pages correctly.

3. Final Answer:

   Enable 'Static website hosting' in bucket properties and specify index document -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Enable hosting + index document = correct setup [OK]

Hint: Enable hosting in properties and set index file name [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Leaving bucket policy private without public read
• Confusing IAM user creation with hosting setup
• Trying to attach EC2 to S3 bucket

3. Given this bucket policy snippet for an S3 static website:

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

What is the effect of this policy?

medium

A. Allows only authenticated users to write to the bucket

B. Blocks all access to the bucket

C. Allows anyone to read objects in the bucket

D. Allows anyone to delete objects in the bucket

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the policy statements

   The policy allows "Effect": "Allow" for "Principal": "*" which means everyone, on the action "s3:GetObject" for all objects in the bucket.

2. Step 2: Understand the permission granted

   This means anyone can read (get) objects from the bucket, which is needed for public website hosting.

3. Final Answer:

   Allows anyone to read objects in the bucket -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Principal * + GetObject = public read [OK]

Hint: Principal * with GetObject means public read access [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking it blocks access instead of allowing
• Confusing GetObject with write or delete permissions
• Assuming only authenticated users have access

4. You enabled static website hosting on your S3 bucket but get a 403 Forbidden error when accessing the site. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. Index document is missing from the bucket

B. Bucket policy does not allow public read access

C. Bucket name contains uppercase letters

D. You did not upload any files

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand 403 Forbidden error context

   A 403 error usually means permission denied, so the website cannot read files from the bucket.

2. Step 2: Check bucket policy and permissions

   If the bucket policy does not allow public read access, the website cannot serve files, causing 403 errors.

3. Final Answer:

   Bucket policy does not allow public read access -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   403 error = permission denied = fix bucket policy [OK]

Hint: 403 means permission denied; check bucket policy [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming missing index document causes 403 (usually 404)
• Thinking bucket name case causes errors
• Ignoring permissions and blaming missing files

5. You want to host a static website on S3 with a custom domain and HTTPS. Which combination of AWS services should you use?

hard

A. S3 static website hosting + Route 53 for domain + CloudFront with SSL certificate

B. S3 static website hosting + EC2 instance + Elastic Load Balancer

C. S3 static website hosting + Lambda functions + API Gateway

D. S3 static website hosting + DynamoDB + IAM roles

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify services for custom domain and HTTPS

   Route 53 manages domain names, CloudFront provides HTTPS with SSL certificates, and S3 hosts the static files.

2. Step 2: Understand the integration

   Use Route 53 to point your domain to CloudFront distribution, which serves content securely from S3 with HTTPS.

3. Final Answer:

   S3 static website hosting + Route 53 for domain + CloudFront with SSL certificate -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Custom domain + HTTPS = Route 53 + CloudFront + S3 [OK]

Hint: Use CloudFront for HTTPS and Route 53 for domain [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using EC2 or Lambda unnecessarily for static hosting
• Ignoring CloudFront for HTTPS support
• Confusing database or IAM roles with hosting setup