How to Deploy a Website on AWS

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the most powerful and widely used cloud platforms in the world. Companies of all sizes—from startups to enterprises—use AWS to host websites because it offers scalability, security, and reliability. If you’re new to cloud hosting, deploying a website on AWS may seem complicated, but once you understand the process, it becomes much easier.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to deploy a website on AWS step by step, using beginner-friendly methods. Whether you’re hosting a static website or a dynamic web application, this article will help you get started confidently.

Why Choose AWS for Website Hosting?

Before jumping into the steps, let’s understand why AWS is a popular choice.

Key Benefits of AWS

  • High reliability and uptime

  • Scales automatically as traffic grows

  • Strong security features

  • Pay-as-you-go pricing

  • Global data centers for fast performance

AWS offers different services for hosting websites, depending on your needs.

Types of Websites You Can Host on AWS

1. Static Websites

Static websites include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and videos. These sites don’t require a backend server.

Best AWS service: Amazon S3

2. Dynamic Websites

Dynamic websites use server-side technologies like PHP, Node.js, Python, or databases.

Best AWS services:

  • EC2

  • Elastic Beanstalk

  • Lightsail

This guide focuses on two popular beginner methods:

  • Static website using Amazon S3

  • Dynamic website using Amazon EC2

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • An AWS account

  • A basic website (HTML/CSS or web app files)

  • Basic understanding of domains and hosting

Method 1: Deploy a Static Website Using Amazon S3

This is the easiest and cheapest way to deploy a website on AWS.

Step 1: Create an S3 Bucket

  1. Log in to AWS Management Console

  2. Open Amazon S3

  3. Click Create bucket

  4. Enter a unique bucket name (this will be your website name)

  5. Choose a region

  6. Uncheck Block all public access

  7. Acknowledge the warning and create the bucket

Step 2: Upload Website Files

  1. Open your newly created bucket

  2. Click Upload

  3. Upload your HTML, CSS, JS, and image files

  4. Make sure your main file is named index.html

Step 3: Enable Static Website Hosting

  1. Go to the bucket’s Properties tab

  2. Scroll to Static website hosting

  3. Enable it

  4. Set:

    • Index document: index.html

    • Error document (optional): error.html

  5. Save changes

Step 4: Make the Website Public

  1. Go to the Permissions tab

  2. Edit the Bucket Policy

  3. Add a public read policy allowing access to all files

Once saved, AWS will provide a website URL. Open it in your browser, and your website will be live.

Method 2: Deploy a Dynamic Website Using Amazon EC2

If your website uses a backend or database, EC2 is a better option.

Step 1: Launch an EC2 Instance

  1. Open EC2 Dashboard

  2. Click Launch instance

  3. Choose an Amazon Machine Image (AMI), such as:

    • Amazon Linux

    • Ubuntu

  4. Select instance type (t2.micro is free-tier eligible)

  5. Create or select a key pair (important for SSH access)

  6. Configure security group:

    • Allow HTTP (port 80)

    • Allow HTTPS (port 443)

    • Allow SSH (port 22)

Step 2: Connect to the Server

Using SSH:

ssh -i your-key.pem ec2-user@your-public-ip

Once connected, update the system:

sudo yum update -y

Step 3: Install Web Server

For Apache:

sudo yum install httpd -y
sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd

Your server is now ready to host websites.

Step 4: Upload Website Files

  1. Navigate to the web directory:

cd /var/www/html

  1. Upload your website files using SCP, SFTP, or Git.

  2. Set permissions if needed:

sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html

Step 5: Access Your Website

Open your browser and enter the EC2 public IP address.
Your website should now be live.

(Optional) Connect a Domain Name

To use a custom domain:

  1. Buy a domain from a registrar

  2. Use Amazon Route 53

  3. Create a hosted zone

  4. Point your domain to:

    • S3 endpoint (static site)

    • EC2 public IP (dynamic site)

Secure Your Website on AWS

Enable HTTPS

  • Use AWS Certificate Manager

  • Configure SSL for CloudFront ora  load balancer

Regular Backups

  • Use snapshots for EC2

  • Enable versioning in S3

Monitor Performance

  • Use Amazon CloudWatch

  • Track uptime, CPU usage, and traffic

Cost Considerations

AWS offers a free tier, which includes:

  • S3 limited storage

  • EC2 t2.micro for 12 months

After that, pricing depends on usage. Always monitor your billing dashboard.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Leaving EC2 security groups open to all ports

  • Forgetting to make S3 objects public

  • Not setting up backups

  • Ignoring AWS billing alerts

Conclusion

Deploying a website on AWS may feel intimidating at first, but AWS provides flexible and reliable solutions for every type of website. For beginners, Amazon S3 is perfect for static websites, while Amazon EC2 is ideal for dynamic applications that need server control.

By following the steps in this guide, you can confidently deploy, manage, and scale your website on AWS. With time and practice, AWS becomes an incredibly powerful tool for web hosting and cloud computing.

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