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# How to create an AWS IAM user and S3 bucket

> How to create an AWS IAM user and S3 bucket.

export const Image = ({img, alt, size = "lg"}) => {
  const normalizedSize = ["sm", "md", "lg"].includes(size) ? size : "lg";
  return <div className={`ch-image-${normalizedSize}`}>
      <Frame>
        <img src={img} alt={alt} />
      </Frame>
    </div>;
};

> This guide shows you how you can set up an IAM user and S3 bucket in AWS,
> a prerequisite step for taking backups to S3 or configuring ClickHouse to
> store data on S3

<h2 id="create-an-aws-iam-user">
  Create an AWS IAM user
</h2>

In this procedure, we'll be creating a service account user, not a login user.

1. Log into the AWS IAM Management Console.

2. In the `Users` tab, select `Create user`

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-1.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=24489adfdf390487a8b511420d7d8b1d" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1940" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-1.webp" />

3. Enter a user-name

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-2.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=f737f23768d96b91a409378c4e4e0a1a" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1408" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-2.webp" />

4. Select `Next`

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-3.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=65703827e3f10db09594596d6e3d35f5" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1860" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-3.webp" />

5. Select `Next`

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-4.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=d41dd4c0b5d067589e414f38db694232" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1850" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-4.webp" />

6. Select `Create user`

The user is now created.
Click on the newly created user

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-5.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=24ef93acc68a605601356713d5169880" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="792" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-5.webp" />

7. Select `Create access key`

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-6.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=f82dd58b921a7392007ec046f7662e25" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1900" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-6.webp" />

8. Select `Application running outside AWS`

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-7.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=0d09defe598f3ee22f158e4ad77a12a9" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1942" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-7.webp" />

9. Select `Create access key`

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-8.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=70a885c0ce833983debde5b7f6a203a7" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1080" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-8.webp" />

10. Download your access key and secret as a .csv for use later

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-9.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=bd2cd2b2d15ab4e79f6acc37d7fb54d6" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="3912" height="2036" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-9.webp" />

<h2 id="create-an-s3-bucket">
  Create an S3 bucket
</h2>

1. In the S3 bucket section, select **Create bucket**

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-10.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=80ebf03184a2f06dfc4aaceb02224d50" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="2518" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-10.webp" />

2. Enter a bucket name, leave other options default

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-11.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=fd90239626fc89bc318053e216a5722c" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1118" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-11.webp" />

<Note>
  The bucket name must be unique across AWS, not just the organization, or it will emit an error.
</Note>

3. Leave `Block all Public Access` enabled; public access isn't needed.

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-12.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=b76c23d7e534079c093293fe3a150e3a" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1106" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-12.webp" />

4. Select **Create Bucket** at the bottom of the page

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-13.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=a380d4f43f51a0559cd42058c6eb5287" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1872" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-13.webp" />

5. Select the link, copy the ARN, and save it for use when configuring the access policy for the bucket

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-14.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=e6a7199c1f3c437c3492595ea9b5960b" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="934" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-14.webp" />

6. Once the bucket has been created, find the new S3 bucket in the S3 buckets list and select the bucket name which will take you to the page shown below:

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-15.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=2c0d6a76427e40a0bf696a6a1627a983" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1400" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-15.webp" />

7. Select `Create folder`

8. Enter a folder name that will be the target for the ClickHouse S3 disk or backup and select `Create folder` at the bottom of the page

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-16.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=7278bdaa08d0214a24e214d29a6cd2a9" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="3992" height="1352" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-16.webp" />

9. The folder should now be visible on the bucket list

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-17.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=65828c6ebd93b40b4484825e65b6af34" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="1330" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-17.webp" />

10. Select the checkbox for the new folder and click on `Copy URL`. Save the URL for use in the ClickHouse storage configuration in the next section.

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-18.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=51694277aca44488f5ca6b0c1a84e81f" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="992" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-18.webp" />

11. Select the **Permissions** tab and click on the **Edit** button in the **Bucket Policy** section

<Image size="lg" img="https://mintcdn.com/private-7c7dfe99-vortex-format/tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV/images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-19.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=tee0vtC1xMN3cEIV&q=85&s=7db02c381e08232e0c64d650be086419" alt="AWS IAM Management Console - Adding a new user" width="4040" height="954" data-path="images/_snippets/s3/2025/s3-19.webp" />

12. Add a bucket policy, example below

```json theme={null}
{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Id": "Policy123456",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Sid": "abc123",
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Principal": {
                "AWS": "arn:aws:iam::782985192762:user/docs-s3-user"
            },
            "Action": "s3:*",
            "Resource": [
                "arn:aws:s3:::ch-docs-s3-bucket",
                "arn:aws:s3:::ch-docs-s3-bucket/*"
            ]
        }
    ]
}
```

<Note>
  The policy above makes it possible to perform all actions on the bucket
</Note>

| Parameter | Description                                                 | Example Value                                                         |
| --------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Version   | Version of the policy interpreter, leave as-is              | 2012-10-17                                                            |
| Sid       | User-defined policy id                                      | abc123                                                                |
| Effect    | Whether user requests will be allowed or denied             | Allow                                                                 |
| Principal | The accounts or user that will be allowed                   | arn:aws:iam::782985192762:user/docs-s3-user                           |
| Action    | What operations are allowed on the bucket                   | s3:\*                                                                 |
| Resource  | Which resources in the bucket will operations be allowed in | "arn:aws:s3:::ch-docs-s3-bucket", "arn:aws:s3:::ch-docs-s3-bucket/\*" |

<Note>
  You should work with your security team to determine the permissions to be used, consider these as a starting point.
  For more information on Policies and settings, refer to AWS documentation:
  [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/access-policy-language-overview.html](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/access-policy-language-overview.html)
</Note>

13. Save the policy configuration
