How to Use the AWS S3 'website' Command (with Examples)

The AWS S3 ‘website’ command is a powerful tool within the Amazon Web Services Command Line Interface (CLI) that enables users to configure their S3 buckets to function as static websites. This command simplifies the process of hosting websites on S3 by allowing you to set up necessary website configurations, such as defining the main index document and custom error pages.

Use Case 1: Configure a Bucket as a Static Website

Code:

aws s3 website s3://bucket-name --index-document index.html

Motivation:

Configuring a bucket as a static website is essential for anyone looking to host a simple, cost-effective web page using Amazon S3. Using this capability, users can serve static content without the need for a traditional web server. Static websites are useful for many scenarios, such as hosting personal blogs, portfolios, or company information pages, where only HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are required.

Explanation:

• aws s3 website: This is the primary command that initiates the configuration of an S3 bucket as a website.
• s3://bucket-name: This specifies the name of the bucket you wish to configure. Replace bucket-name with the actual name of your S3 bucket.
• --index-document index.html: This argument specifies the name of the index document for the website. When a user accesses the root domain or any folder within the site, S3 serves this document as the default page. The index.html file typically serves as the homepage or the entry point of your website.

Example Output:

Upon successful execution, the output will indicate that the website configuration has been set for the specified bucket. There won’t be any detailed success message. However, message logs generally confirm that the setting is applied:

Website configuration has been set for bucket: bucket-name

Use Case 2: Configure an Error Page for the Website

Code:

aws s3 website s3://bucket-name --index-document index.html --error-document error.html

Motivation:

Defining an error page is crucial for improving the user experience on your static website. When users encounter errors, such as navigating to a non-existent page, a custom error page provides them with a meaningful message or navigational links back to the main site. This is particularly important for maintaining a professional and user-friendly appearance.

Explanation:

• aws s3 website: As before, this is the command used to set website configuration for an S3 bucket.
• s3://bucket-name: This specifies the target bucket that you want to configure as a website.
• --index-document index.html: As in the previous example, this sets the entry point of the website.
• --error-document error.html: This argument specifies the name of the custom error page to be displayed when users encounter a 4XX series error, such as “404 Not Found.” The error.html file should include information guiding users on what to do next.

Example Output:

When executed, if successful, the command will apply the configuration and provide a minimal confirmation log such as:

Website configuration including error document set for bucket: bucket-name

Conclusion:

The AWS S3 ‘website’ command provides an effective way to host and manage static websites directly from an S3 bucket. By using this command, you can easily set your index and error pages, ensuring that your website is both accessible and user-friendly. Whether you’re hosting a personal project or a business landing page, these configurations help you leverage the cost efficiency and scalability of AWS S3.