How to Configure Amazon S3

Overview

Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is the industry-standard cloud storage solution. ShareX integrates directly with S3, allowing you to upload screenshots and files to your own AWS infrastructure.

Prerequisites

• An AWS account
• An S3 bucket created for ShareX uploads
• IAM user with S3 access credentials

Setting Up S3 in ShareX

Step 1: Create IAM Credentials

1. Go to AWS Console > IAM > Users
2. Create a new user or select an existing one
3. Under Security credentials, create an Access Key
4. Choose Application running outside AWS
5. Save the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key

Step 2: Set IAM Permissions

Attach the following policy to your IAM user (replace your-bucket-name):

{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": ["s3:PutObject", "s3:PutObjectAcl"],
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::your-bucket-name/*"
    }
  ]
}

Step 3: Create an S3 Bucket

1. Go to AWS Console > S3 > Create bucket
2. Choose a unique bucket name
3. Select your preferred region
4. Under Object Ownership, enable ACLs enabled
5. Uncheck "Block all public access" (or configure CloudFront for secure access)
6. Create the bucket

Step 4: Configure ShareX

1. Open ShareX
2. Go to Destinations > File uploaders > Amazon S3
3. Fill in:
   • Access Key ID: Your IAM Access Key
   • Secret Access Key: Your IAM Secret Key
   • Endpoint: s3.amazonaws.com
   • Region: Your bucket's region (e.g., us-east-1)
   • Bucket name: Your bucket name
   • Upload path: e.g., sharex/%y/%mo/
   • URL: https://your-bucket-name.s3.amazonaws.com/

Uploading to S3

1. Set Amazon S3 as your default file uploader
2. Take a screenshot to trigger automatic upload
3. The S3 URL is copied to your clipboard

Using CloudFront (Recommended)

For faster delivery and HTTPS:

1. Create a CloudFront distribution pointing to your S3 bucket
2. Use the CloudFront domain as your URL in ShareX settings
3. This also allows you to keep the bucket private

Cost Considerations

• S3 charges for storage and requests
• Monitor usage in AWS Cost Explorer
• Set up lifecycle rules to automatically delete old uploads