Deploying a static website on AWS is a great way to learn cloud hosting and deliver fast, secure websites.

In this guide, I'll explain how to deploy a static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript website using Amazon S3, Amazon CloudFront, AWS Certificate Manager (ACM), and Amazon Route 53.

These are the services I used when deploying my own portfolio website, adeelniaz.com.

1. Create an Amazon S3 Bucket

Amazon S3 provides object storage for your website files.

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console.

2. Open the Amazon S3 service.

3. Create a new bucket with a unique name.

4. Select your preferred AWS Region.

5. Keep Block Public Access enabled when using CloudFront Origin Access Control (OAC).

6. Upload your HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and image files.

Tip: For a secure setup, keep your S3 bucket private and allow access through CloudFront OAC.

2. Configure Amazon CloudFront

Amazon CloudFront is a Content Delivery Network (CDN) that delivers website content through globally distributed edge locations.

To configure CloudFront:

1. Open the CloudFront console.

2. Create a new distribution.

3. Select your S3 bucket as the origin.

4. Configure Origin Access Control (OAC).

5. Apply the required S3 bucket policy.

6. Set index.html as the default root object.

7. Create the distribution and wait for deployment.

CloudFront provides a distribution domain that you can use to test your website.

3. Set Up HTTPS with AWS Certificate Manager

HTTPS encrypts communication between visitors and your website.

To configure HTTPS:

1. Open AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) in the US East (N. Virginia) Region (us-east-1).

2. Request a public SSL/TLS certificate for your domain.

3. Complete domain validation using DNS.

4. Attach the validated certificate to your CloudFront distribution.

5. Add your custom domain as an alternate domain name in CloudFront.

Important: CloudFront requires ACM certificates to be in the us-east-1 Region.

4. Connect Your Domain with Route 53

Amazon Route 53 is a DNS service that can route your domain traffic to CloudFront.

1. Open Route 53.

2. Select the hosted zone for your domain.

3. Create an A record using the Alias option.

4. Choose your CloudFront distribution as the target.

5. Save the DNS record.

If you use another DNS provider, follow its supported configuration for pointing your domain to CloudFront.

5. Test Your Website

After configuration:

• Open your website using its HTTPS domain.

• Check that images, CSS, and JavaScript load correctly.

• Test mobile responsiveness.

• Verify internal navigation links.

• Test website performance using Google PageSpeed Insights.

If you update website files, CloudFront caching may delay changes. You can create a cache invalidation when necessary.

6. Optimize Performance and SEO

Deployment is only the beginning. A professional website also needs technical SEO and performance optimization.

Some important improvements include:

• Unique page titles and meta descriptions.

• Proper heading structure.

• Descriptive image alt text.

• XML sitemap and robots.txt.

• Canonical URLs.

• Mobile-friendly layouts.

• Compressed images and optimized assets.

You can also connect Google Search Console to monitor indexing and organic search performance.

7. Understand AWS Costs

AWS services are not always free.

S3 storage, CloudFront traffic, Route 53 hosted zones, domain registration, and other services may incur charges depending on your usage and account eligibility.

Use AWS Budgets and billing alerts to monitor your spending.

Final Thoughts

Amazon S3 and CloudFront provide a scalable approach to hosting static websites.

By combining S3, CloudFront, ACM, and DNS configuration, you can build a secure and high-performance hosting setup.

For a more detailed walkthrough, read my original guide:

How to Deploy a Static Website on AWS S3 and CloudFront

You can also explore my AWS Cloud services and other projects on my portfolio.

Written by Adeel Niaz — Full Stack Developer, AWS Cloud Engineer & SEO Specialist.