How to Create an AWS Account and Configure the AWS CLI

✅ Part 1: Create an AWS Account

1. Go to the AWS Sign-Up Page

• Visit https://aws.amazon.com
• Click “Create an AWS Account”

2. Enter Your Email and Set a Password

• Provide a valid email address
• Choose an AWS account name (e.g., yourname-dev)
• Set a strong password

3. Choose the Account Type

• Select Personal or Professional
• Fill in your contact information

4. Add Billing Information

• Enter your credit/debit card (required even for free-tier use)
• You won’t be charged for free-tier usage

5. Identity Verification

• Verify your phone number by receiving an SMS or voice call

6. Choose a Support Plan

• Select the Basic (Free) support plan unless you need premium support

7. Log In to AWS Console

• Go to https://console.aws.amazon.com
• Log in with your root email and password

✅ Your AWS account is now ready!

✅ Part 2: Set Up the AWS CLI

1. Install the AWS CLI

For Windows:

• Download the installer:
  https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/install-cliv2-windows.html

For macOS:

brew install awscli

For Linux:

curl "https://awscli.amazonaws.com/awscli-exe-linux-x86_64.zip" -o "awscliv2.zip"
unzip awscliv2.zip
sudo ./aws/install

2. Verify the Installation

aws --version

✅ You should see something like: aws-cli/2.X.X

---

✅ Part 3: Create an IAM User and Access Keys

It is not recommended to use the root account with the CLI.

1. Go to the AWS Console → IAM

• Navigate to: IAM → Users → Add User

2. Create a New User

• Set username (e.g., aws-cli-user)
• Select Programmatic access

3. Assign Permissions

• Choose Attach existing policies directly
• Select AdministratorAccess (or custom policies for limited access)

4. Download the Access Keys

• Save the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key
  ⚠️ Keep them safe — you won’t see the secret again.

---

✅ Part 4: Configure the CLI with Your Credentials

Run this command in your terminal:

aws configure

Provide:

• Access Key ID
• Secret Access Key
• Default region (e.g., us-east-1)
• Default output format (json recommended)

---

✅ Part 5: Test Your Setup

Run:

aws s3 ls

• If everything is set up correctly, this will list your S3 buckets (or say “no buckets found”).