Introduction

As a DevOps beginner, deploying your first static website using Terraform on AWS S3 is one of the best hands-on projects to understand Infrastructure as Code (IaC), AWS services, and real-world DevOps workflows.

In this guide, you will learn how to automate S3 bucket creation, configure it for static website hosting, and upload your website files using Terraform.

What is Terraform?

Terraform is an open-source Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool created by HashiCorp that allows you to define, provision, and manage cloud infrastructure using code.

Terraform setup : https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/tutorials/aws-get-started/install-cli

Prerequisites

An AWS account.
Terraform installed on your system( Either on VS code or on EC2 instance).
AWS CLI configured (aws configure).
Basic HTML files (index.html, style.css).

Why this project?

Get hands-on with Terraform basics.
Understand S3 static website hosting.
Automate infrastructure, avoiding manual AWS console clicks.

Step 1: Create Your Terraform Project

Create where all the details regarding the project is present .

resource "aws_s3_bucket" "bucket" {
  bucket = var.bucket_name
}
resource "aws_s3_bucket_ownership_controls" "bucket" {
  bucket = aws_s3_bucket.bucket.id
  rule {
    object_ownership = "BucketOwnerPreferred"
  }
}
resource "aws_s3_bucket_public_access_block" "bucket" {
  bucket = aws_s3_bucket.bucket.id
  block_public_acls       = false
  block_public_policy     = false
  ignore_public_acls      = false
  restrict_public_buckets = false
}
resource "aws_s3_bucket_acl" "bucket" {
  depends_on = [    aws_s3_bucket_ownership_controls.bucket,
    aws_s3_bucket_public_access_block.bucket
  ]
  bucket = aws_s3_bucket.bucket.id
  acl    = "public-read"
}
resource "aws_s3_bucket_policy" "public_read" {
  bucket = aws_s3_bucket.bucket.id
  policy = jsonencode({
    Version = "2012-10-17",
    Statement = [      {
        Effect = "Allow",
        Principal = "*",
        Action = "s3:GetObject",
        Resource = "${aws_s3_bucket.bucket.arn}/*"
      }
    ]
  })
}
resource "aws_s3_object" "index" {
  bucket       = aws_s3_bucket.bucket.id
  key          = "index.html"
  source       = "index.html"
  content_type = "text/html"
}
resource "aws_s3_object" "style" {
  bucket       = aws_s3_bucket.bucket.id
  key          = "style.css"
  source       = "style.css"
  content_type = "text/css"
}
resource "aws_s3_object" "error" {
  bucket       = aws_s3_bucket.bucket.id
  key          = "error.html"
  source       = "error.html"
  content_type = "text/html"
}
resource "aws_s3_bucket_website_configuration" "website" {
  bucket = aws_s3_bucket.bucket.id
  index_document {
    suffix = "index.html"
  }
  error_document {
    key = "error.html"
  }
  depends_on = [aws_s3_bucket_acl.bucket]
}

create , where all the variables are present .

variable "bucket_name" {
  default = "myterraformbucket0019"
}

create , which is used to mention which cloud Provider we are using for this project .

terraform {
  required_providers {
    aws = {
      source  = "hashicorp/aws"
      version = "5.10.0"
    }
  }
}
provider "aws" {
  region = "ap-south-1"
}

Create

output "websiteendpoint" {
    value = "aws_s3_bucket.bucket.website_endpoint"
}

Step 2: Add Website Files

Create index.html and style.css for the making of the website .

index.html : https://github.com/NikhilRaj-2003/terraform-s3-static-website-hosting/blob/main/design/index.html
style.css : https://github.com/NikhilRaj-2003/terraform-s3-static-website-hosting/blob/main/design/style.css

Step 3: Initialize and Deploy

terraform init : initializes your Terraform working directory.

It downloads the required provider plugins (like AWS, Azure) needed to work with your cloud resources.
It sets up the backend configuration (where your state file will be stored, like local or S3).
It prepares the .terraform folder inside your project.

terraform plan: Used to preview changes Terraform will make before applying .Reads your Terraform configuration files (.tf files).

Checks the current state of your infrastructure.
Generates a detailed execution plan showing actions needed to match your desired configuration.
Indicates which resources will be created, updated, or destroyed.
Helps you review and verify expected changes safely.
Reduces the chances of accidental modifications to your infrastructure.

terraform apply: Used to execute actions required to reach the desired state of your infrastructure.

Reads your Terraform configuration files (.tf files).
Runs after reviewing the plan shown by terraform plan .
Automatically creates, updates, or deletes resources on your cloud provider.
Prompts for confirmation before proceeding (unless using -auto-approve).

After giving terraform apply command it creates S3-Bucket in AWS Account , without opening AWS .

Step 4: Access Your Website

Go to your AWS S3 bucket.
Go to Properties → Static Website Hosting.
Copy the bucket website endpoint URL
Open in your browser and see your Terraform-hosted static website live.

What You Learned

1.Hosting a static website on AWS S3 using Terraform.
2.Automating bucket creation, ACL, and public read policies using IaC.
3.Practical DevOps workflow for portfolio-building.

Conclusion

Through this project, you have learned how to host a static website on AWS S3 using Terraform, enabling you to understand and apply the principles of Infrastructure as Code (IaC). You automated the creation of an S3 bucket, configured it for static website hosting, and managed public access using Terraform, eliminating manual steps in the AWS console.

Nikhil Raj A @nikhilraj-2003

How to Host a Static Website on AWS S3 Using Terraform: Step-by-Step Guide for DevOps Beginners.