Amazon S3 Setup: Connect & Transfer Files

Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is Amazon's object storage service and one of the most widely used. In Blober, S3 paths use this format:

bucket-name/path/to/file.ext

• ✅ Browse buckets and objects
• ✅ Upload files (including large files)
• ✅ Download files
• ✅ Delete objects
• ✅ Copy/move within S3 and across providers
• ✅ Storage class selection

• An AWS account (create one)
• An S3 bucket (or permission to list buckets)
• IAM user or role with S3 permissions
• Access key ID and secret access key

• Example: AKIAIOSFODNN7EXAMPLE

• Example: wJalrXUtnFEMI/K7MDENG/bPxRfiCYEXAMPLEKEY

• Default: STANDARD

1. Go to S3 Console
2. Click "Create bucket"
3. Enter a bucket name (must be globally unique)
4. Choose your preferred AWS Region
5. Configure settings as needed
6. Click "Create bucket"

1. Go to IAM Console
2. Click Users => Create user
3. Enter a username (e.g., blober-s3-user)
4. Click Next
5. Select Attach policies directly
6. For a quick setup, attach AmazonS3FullAccess. For production, create a custom policy with the minimum permissions instead (see Security)
7. Click through to Create user

1. Click on your new user
2. Go to Security credentials tab
3. Under Access keys, click Create access key
4. Select Application running outside AWS
5. Save the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key. AWS shows them only once

1. In Blober, go to Workflows => New Workflow
2. Select Amazon S3 as source or destination
3. Enter your Access Key ID and Secret Access Key
4. Test by browsing your buckets

• Double-check your Access Key ID and Secret Access Key
• Verify the IAM user has the correct S3 permissions
• Ensure the bucket policy doesn't block your IAM user

• Your IAM user needs s3:ListAllMyBuckets permission
• If using a restricted policy, add ListBucket for specific buckets

• Choose an S3 region geographically close to you
• Large files are automatically uploaded in parts for reliability
• Check your network speed. Transfers run over your own connection, so S3 can only go as fast as it does

• Create a dedicated IAM user for Blober instead of using root credentials
• Give it the minimum permissions it needs (don't use AmazonS3FullAccess in production)
• Rotate access keys periodically
• Enable MFA on your AWS account

• Use Intelligent Tiering for data with unpredictable access patterns
• Move old backups to Glacier or Deep Archive, which cost much less to store
• Enable S3 Lifecycle rules to automate tier transitions
• Monitor costs in the AWS Billing Console

• AWS IAM Access Keys
• S3 Storage Classes
• IAM Best Practices
• S3 Security Best Practices
• AWS S3 Pricing
• S3-Compatible storage in Blober, for non-AWS services that speak the S3 API