Getting Started with Your AWS Account

Set up your AWS account, understand the console, and learn to navigate AWS like a pro.

Starting with AWS can feel like walking into a massive electronics store where everything looks important but you're not sure what anything does. The AWS console has hundreds of services, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

This section helps you get oriented and build confidence navigating AWS without getting lost.

Creating Your AWS Account

Setting up an AWS account is straightforward, but there are a few important details to get right from the start.

What You'll Need

Email address: Use one you check regularly (AWS sends important notifications)
Phone number: For account verification and security
Credit card: Required even for free services (don't worry, we'll show you how to avoid charges)

Choosing Your Account Name

Pick something meaningful like "John Smith Personal" or "MyCompany Development." You'll see this name throughout the console, so make it clear and professional.

Support Plan Selection

AWS offers different support levels:

Basic Support: Free, includes billing questions and basic troubleshooting
Developer Support: $29/month, includes technical support
Business Support: $100+/month, for production applications

For learning, Basic Support is perfect. You can always upgrade later.

Understanding AWS Regions

Before you start creating anything, you need to understand regions. AWS operates data centers around the world, grouped into regions like:

US East (N. Virginia): Often cheapest, gets new features first
US West (Oregon): Good alternative to US East
Europe (Ireland): For European users
Asia Pacific (Singapore): For Asian users

For this guide, choose US East (N. Virginia) because:

Most examples use this region
It's typically the cheapest
All services are available there
Many AWS tutorials assume this region

You can change regions anytime using the dropdown in the top-right corner of the console.

Your First Look at the AWS Console

When you first log in, the AWS console might seem overwhelming. Here's how to make sense of it:

The main navigation lists AWS services by category:

Compute: Virtual servers and serverless functions
Storage: File storage and databases
Networking: Load balancers and content delivery
Database: Managed database services
Security: User management and encryption

Don't try to understand every service immediately. Focus on the core services you'll learn in this guide.

The Search Bar

The fastest way to find services is the search bar at the top. Start typing "EC2" or "S3" and it will find what you need.

Recently Visited Services

AWS remembers which services you use most and shows them prominently. This makes navigation faster as you get familiar with your most-used services.

Setting Up Your Dashboard

The AWS console dashboard shows an overview of your account. Customize it to show information that matters to you:

Useful Widgets to Add

Service Health: Shows if any AWS services are having problems
Billing: Your current month's spending
Cost and Usage: Trends in your usage
Trusted Advisor: Recommendations for optimization

Personalizing Your Experience

Pin frequently used services to your toolbar
Bookmark specific service pages in your browser
Set up browser bookmarks for common tasks

Understanding the Billing Dashboard

Before creating any resources, get familiar with billing. Even with the free tier, it's important to understand how AWS pricing works.

Key Billing Concepts

Free Tier: Generous allowances for new accounts (12 months for most services)
Pay-as-you-go: You're charged for what you actually use
Regional pricing: Costs vary slightly by geographic region
Service-specific pricing: Each AWS service has its own pricing model

Setting Up Billing Alerts

This is crucial for beginners. Set up email alerts when your bill reaches:

$1: Early awareness of any charges
$10: Time to investigate what's causing costs
$25: Immediate action needed

These alerts give you control and prevent surprise bills.

AWS CLI: Your Command-Line Friend

While the web console is great for learning, many AWS tasks are faster from the command line. AWS provides a tool called the AWS CLI (Command Line Interface).

Why Use the Command Line?

Faster for repetitive tasks: Create multiple resources at once
Automation: Write scripts to set up environments
Learning: Understand what the console is doing behind the scenes
Professional development: Most AWS jobs expect CLI familiarity

AWS CloudShell: No Installation Required

AWS CloudShell gives you a command line right in your browser:

Click the CloudShell icon in the AWS console
Wait a moment for it to load
You're ready to run AWS commands

Try this simple command to see your account information:

aws sts get-caller-identity

Installing CLI on Your Computer (Optional)

If you prefer working from your own computer:

Mac: brew install awscli
Windows: Download from AWS website
Linux: Usually available through your package manager

Organizing Your AWS Resources

As you start creating resources, organization becomes important. AWS provides several tools to keep things tidy:

Naming Conventions

Develop consistent naming patterns early:

Environment-Service-Purpose: dev-web-server
Project-Environment-Service: blog-prod-database
Date-Project-Resource: 2025-website-backup

Good names help you:

Find resources quickly
Understand what each resource does
Identify resources that can be deleted

Tagging Strategy

Tags are labels you can attach to AWS resources. They're invisible to users but help you organize and track costs:

Common tags:

Environment: development, staging, production
Project: which application or website
Owner: who created or manages the resource
Cost Center: for business cost allocation

Start tagging resources from day one. It's much harder to add tags later when you have dozens of resources.

Security Best Practices from Day One

Your AWS account starts with full administrative access, which is powerful but risky. Here are immediate security steps:

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA adds a second layer of security to your account:

Go to "My Security Credentials" in your account menu
Enable MFA using an app like Google Authenticator
Test the setup to make sure it works

This simple step prevents most account compromises.

Don't Use Root Account for Daily Work

Your root account (the one you created initially) should only be used for:

Account setup and billing
Emergency access
Specific administrative tasks

For daily work, you'll create separate user accounts (covered in the next section).

Understanding AWS Documentation

AWS provides extensive documentation, but it can be overwhelming. Here's how to use it effectively:

Types of Documentation

Getting Started Guides: Step-by-step tutorials for beginners
User Guides: Comprehensive references for each service
API References: Technical details for developers
Best Practices: Recommendations from AWS experts

Finding What You Need

Start with Getting Started guides, then move to User Guides for more detail. Don't feel like you need to read everything - use documentation to answer specific questions.

Community Resources

Beyond official documentation:

AWS Forums: Community Q&A
Stack Overflow: Programming questions
YouTube: Video tutorials and walkthroughs
Blogs: Real-world experiences and tips

Console Shortcuts and Tips

Speed up your AWS workflow with these time-savers:

Keyboard Shortcuts

Alt + S: Open services menu
/ (forward slash): Focus search bar
Ctrl/Cmd + Click: Open links in new tabs

Browser Tips

Bookmark frequently used service pages: EC2 dashboard, S3 console, etc.
Use multiple tabs: Keep different services open simultaneously
Pin the AWS console tab: So you don't lose it among other tabs

Mobile Access

AWS has mobile apps for monitoring and basic management:

AWS Console Mobile App: Basic management tasks
AWS IoT Device Management: For IoT projects
Amazon WorkSpaces: Access cloud desktops

Getting Lost in Service Lists

Problem: Trying to understand every service at once
Solution: Focus on the core services in this guide first

Ignoring Regions

Problem: Creating resources in different regions accidentally
Solution: Always check your current region in the top-right corner

Not Using Search

Problem: Scrolling through long service lists
Solution: Use the search bar for everything

Forgetting About Billing

Problem: Not monitoring costs until the bill arrives
Solution: Check billing dashboard weekly

When Things Go Wrong

Even experienced AWS users sometimes get confused or make mistakes. Here's what to do:

Can't Find a Resource

Check:

Correct region: Resources only appear in the region where they were created
Service filters: Some consoles have filters that might hide resources
Account permissions: Make sure you have access to view the resource

Unexpected Charges

Check:

Billing dashboard: See exactly what's being charged
Resource cleanup: Look for forgotten running instances
Free tier usage: Verify you haven't exceeded free tier limits

Console Not Loading

Try:

Refresh the page: Simple but often effective
Clear browser cache: Sometimes cached data causes issues
Try a different browser: Isolate browser-specific problems
Check AWS Service Health: Sometimes AWS services have outages

Your Learning Path

Now that you're comfortable with the basics:

Explore the console without pressure to understand everything
Set up billing alerts to monitor costs
Create your first resources following this guide
Practice navigation by finding different services
Bookmark useful pages for quick access

Building Confidence

Remember that every AWS expert started exactly where you are now. The console becomes familiar with use, and you'll develop your own navigation patterns and preferences.

Don't worry about memorizing everything immediately. Focus on understanding the big picture and knowing where to find information when you need it.

Next Steps

With your account set up and navigation confidence building, you're ready to learn about AWS security through Identity and Access Management (IAM).

IAM is arguably the most important AWS service because it controls access to everything else. Understanding IAM early prevents security issues and gives you confidence to explore other services safely.

While IAM might seem complex at first, the core concepts are straightforward and essential for anyone serious about using AWS effectively.

Overview

Part of: Introduction to AWS

Updated: 5/28/2025