Are you looking to host a static website with optimal performance and security? AWS (Amazon Web Services) provides a robust solution using S3 for storage, CloudFront for content delivery, and ACM (AWS Certificate Manager) for SSL/TLS certificates. This combination ensures your website is fast, reliable, and served securely over HTTPS. Follow this comprehensive guide to set up your static site on AWS seamlessly.

Step 1: Setting Up AWS S3 for Hosting

  1. Create an S3 Bucket:
    • Log in to your AWS Management Console.
    • Navigate to the S3 service and click “Create bucket”.
    • Choose a unique name and select a region close to your audience for faster access.
    • Follow the prompts to create your bucket.
  2. Upload Your Website Files:
    • Once the bucket is created, upload your static website files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, etc.).
    • Ensure objects are set to be publicly accessible for web hosting.
  3. Enable Static Website Hosting:
    • In the bucket properties, find “Static website hosting”.
    • Click “Edit” and choose “Use this bucket to host a website”.
    • Specify the index document (e.g., index.html) and an optional error document.
  4. Note Down the Endpoint URL:
    • After enabling hosting, note the endpoint URL (e.g., http://your-bucket-name.s3-website-region.amazonaws.com).

Step 2: Configuring AWS CloudFront for CDN

  1. Create a CloudFront Distribution:
    • Go to the CloudFront console and click “Create Distribution”.
    • Choose “Web” as the delivery method.
    • Set the S3 bucket endpoint as the origin domain.
    • Configure caching behavior and other settings as needed.
  2. Configure Alternate Domain Names (CNAMEs):
    • Specify any custom domain names (e.g., www.yourdomain.com) you want to use.
    • Select your ACM SSL certificate for secure HTTPS delivery.
  3. Review and Create the Distribution:
    • Review your settings and click “Create Distribution”.
    • Wait for the distribution to deploy (typically takes a few minutes).

Step 3: Setting Up AWS ACM for SSL/TLS Certificates

  1. Request and Validate ACM Certificate:
    • Go to the ACM console and click “Request a certificate”.
    • Enter your domain names (e.g., www.yourdomain.com) and follow the prompts to validate ownership.
  2. Assign ACM Certificate to CloudFront:
    • Once validated, assign the ACM certificate to your CloudFront distribution for HTTPS encryption.

Step 4: Testing and Deployment

  1. Test Your Website:
    • Access your website using the CloudFront domain or custom domain (if configured).
    • Ensure SSL is working correctly by accessing https://yourdomain.com.
  2. Deploy Updates:
    • Upload new or updated files to your S3 bucket.
    • Invalidate CloudFront cache if necessary to ensure changes are reflected quickly.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively host a static website on AWS using S3, CloudFront, and ACM SSL/TLS certificates. This setup not only ensures high performance and scalability but also enhances security with encrypted connections. Whether you’re deploying a personal portfolio or a corporate site, AWS provides the tools to deliver your content reliably to global audiences.