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This walkthrough shows how to create and manage an Amazon S3 bucket using the AWS Management Console. You’ll learn the common console workflows: creating a bucket, reviewing properties and permissions, uploading objects, working with pseudo-folders (key prefixes), moving and deleting objects, and finally emptying and deleting a bucket. Key S3 concepts to keep in mind:
  • Global namespace for bucket names (bucket names must be unique across all AWS accounts and regions).
  • Bucket-level configuration and defaults.
  • Per-object metadata and keys (object names).
  • The console presents a flat object store as if it has folders by using key prefixes.
S3 bucket names are globally unique across all AWS accounts and regions. You select a region when creating a bucket, but the console lists buckets from every region because the S3 namespace is global.

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1. Create the bucket

Steps:
  1. Open the AWS Console and search for the S3 service.
  2. From the S3 dashboard, click Create bucket.
  3. Provide a unique bucket name (for this guide we use kk-demo-123) and select a Region, for example, US East (N. Virginia).
  4. Review options such as Object Ownership, Block Public Access settings, Versioning, Encryption, and advanced options (Object Lock). For a basic start, keep defaults and adjust later as needed.
If you need naming rules, use the Documentation link in the creation pane to view allowed bucket-name patterns.
A screenshot of the AWS S3 bucket creation/settings page showing "General configuration" with the bucket name "kk-demo-123" and region set to US East (N. Virginia). The page also shows object ownership/ACL options (ACLs disabled recommended) and block public access settings with a notice about upcoming permission changes.

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2. Block public access settings

  • By default, S3 buckets block public access. These Block Public Access settings are enabled by default and prevent anonymous access unless you explicitly change them.
  • If you plan to host publicly accessible assets (e.g., a static website), you can relax these controls — but verify bucket policies and ACLs carefully before exposing objects.
A screenshot of the AWS S3 console showing the "Block Public Access settings for this bucket" panel with several checkbox options and a red warning about turning off public access. The page includes explanatory text and notices about upcoming permission changes.
Leaving buckets publicly accessible can expose sensitive data. Only enable public access when you intentionally need it (such as hosting public website assets), and confirm your access policies and bucket policies are correct.

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3. Viewing bucket properties

After creating the bucket, select it from the bucket list and open the Properties tab. This view summarizes:
  • Region and bucket ARN
  • Creation date
  • Versioning status (disabled by default)
  • Default encryption and other features like server access logging, event notifications, transfer acceleration, requester pays, and static website hosting
A screenshot of an Amazon S3 bucket Properties page for "kk-demo-123" showing the bucket overview (US East - N. Virginia), ARN, and creation date. The page also shows Bucket Versioning is disabled, no tags, and default encryption settings.
Some features (for example, Object Lock) cannot be enabled after bucket creation. Read the notices in the Properties pane before you finalize settings that you might want later.
A screenshot of an Amazon S3 bucket settings page showing features like Transfer acceleration, Object Lock, Requester pays, and Static website hosting all listed as "Disabled." A blue info box notes that Object Lock can't be enabled after bucket creation and suggests contacting Customer Support.

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4. Permissions, metrics, and management

  • Permissions: Control who can access the bucket and objects via bucket policies, ACLs, and IAM policies.
  • Metrics: Use Amazon CloudWatch for object counts, bytes stored, and request rates.
  • Management: Define lifecycle rules, replication, inventory, and access points via the Management tab.
A screenshot of the AWS S3 bucket settings page showing empty Lifecycle, Replication, and Inventory sections. Each panel displays "No ... rules" messages with buttons like "Create lifecycle rule" and "Create replication rule."
Access Points are useful for providing fine-grained access to shared buckets and can be created under the Access Points tab.
A screenshot of the Amazon S3 console open to the "Access Points" tab for the bucket "kk-demo-123," showing no access points and a prominent "Create access point" button.

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5. Upload an object

To upload:
  1. Open the Objects tab and click Upload (or drag-and-drop files).
  2. Add individual files or whole folders.
  3. Configure object-level options such as storage class, encryption, metadata, and per-object permissions (which default to the bucket’s settings unless overridden).
For this demo we upload a sample photo: pexels-julio-nery-1687147.jpg (2.7 MB). The upload pane shows file details, destination, and an Upload button.
A screenshot of the AWS S3 web console Upload page showing a single file (pexels-julio-nery-1687147.jpg, 2.7 MB) queued for upload to the bucket s3://kk-demo-123. The interface shows the file list, destination details, and an orange "Upload" button.

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6. Storage classes and properties

S3 supports multiple storage classes that trade off cost, availability, and retrieval behavior. For simple uploads you can keep the default (Standard). Storage classes (summary):
A screenshot of the Amazon S3 console showing a Permissions banner and the Properties pane. The Properties section displays a Storage class table listing options like Standard, Intelligent‑Tiering, Standard‑IA and Glacier with their intended use and retention details.
After a successful upload the console shows a confirmation and the object appears in the Objects list.

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7. Object metadata and URLs

Select an object to view metadata such as region, size, last modified time, key (object name), S3 URI, ARN, ETag, and the object URL. Example identifiers for the uploaded photo:
Example object overview (as shown in the console):

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Public vs authenticated access

  • The Object URL is a public endpoint. If Block Public Access is enabled (the default), that URL will return “Access Denied” if you try to open it anonymously.
  • The console’s Open or Open in new tab action displays the object using your authenticated session (often via a temporary signed URL), which lets you view private objects without making them public.
By default, buckets and objects are private; only principals with the right permissions can access them unless you explicitly make objects public.

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8. Create and use pseudo-folders (key prefixes)

S3 is a flat key-value object store. The console simulates directories by interpreting slashes in object keys as prefixes.
  • Create a folder named food and upload multiple images into it. The console will display a folder icon and show objects with the food/ prefix.
If a burger.jpg is stored under the food/ prefix, its identifiers look like:
The food/ portion is part of the object key, not a true filesystem directory.
A screenshot of the Amazon S3 console showing the "food/" folder contents (burger.jpg, pizza.jpg, sandwich.jpg, steak.jpg and a test/ folder) with a green banner confirming the "test" folder was successfully created.

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9. Moving objects (changing the key prefix)

Moving an object in the console copies it to the new key and deletes the original (copy + delete). S3 does not support atomic renames.
  • To move: select the object, choose Actions → Move, then type or browse to the target prefix. For example:
    • Original key: food/steak.jpg
    • Target prefix: food/test/
    • New key: food/test/steak.jpg
After the move completes the object appears under the new prefix.
A screenshot of the Amazon S3 console showing the bucket path "food/test/" with a single object named "steak.jpg" (1.9 MB). The page shows controls like Upload, Create folder, and Copy S3 URI.

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10. Delete objects

  • Select an object and click Delete. The console asks for confirmation and requires you to type a confirmation phrase (for example, permanently delete) before it proceeds.
  • If versioning is not enabled, deleted objects are permanently removed.
  • If versioning is enabled, deleting adds a delete marker and previous versions remain recoverable.
A screenshot of the Amazon S3 "Delete objects" confirmation page for bucket "kk-demo-123," showing one file (pexels-julio-nery-1687147.jpg) listed with its size and last modified date. The page includes a warning and a text box prompting the user to type "permanently delete" to confirm removal.

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11. Emptying and deleting a bucket

  • You can only delete an empty bucket. Attempting to delete a non-empty bucket fails.
  • To remove a non-empty bucket, use Empty to delete all objects (the console will prompt for confirmation). After the bucket is empty, delete the bucket itself — you’ll be asked to type the bucket name to confirm final deletion.

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Wrap-up

This guide covered the essentials of working with S3 via the console:
  • Creating a bucket and understanding naming/region constraints
  • Reviewing bucket properties, features, and restrictions
  • Managing Block Public Access and bucket permissions
  • Uploading objects and viewing object metadata and URLs
  • Using pseudo-folders (key prefixes), moving objects (copy + delete), and deleting objects
  • Emptying and deleting a bucket
For deeper learning, consult the AWS S3 documentation:

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