Set up AWS, then call Claude

The AWS console is huge, and that is exactly why beginners stall on day one. This tour shows you where everything lives: the search bar that gets you anywhere, the region switch that quietly changes what you see, and the handful of service shortcuts you will actually use.

Your root account is the master key to everything, including the billing. Turn on multi-factor authentication so a password alone can never get in, then create a separate IAM admin user for your everyday work and stop using root entirely.

The number one fear of new AWS users is waking up to a giant bill. Set a monthly budget and an email alert in a couple of minutes, so the moment your spend approaches a line you drew, AWS tells you instead of surprising you.

S3 is the storage everything else leans on. Create your first bucket, understand the one naming rule that trips people up, and upload a file so you can see exactly where your data lives.

Before you can launch a server, AWS needs to know which network it sits on. A VPC is that private network. This video demystifies it in plain terms so the next step, launching a server, does not hit a wall.

EC2 is a computer you rent by the hour. Launch an instance, set the security group that controls who can reach it, and connect, including the real gotcha most first-timers hit when the server sits on a private network.

The command line is how you go from clicking to automating. Install the AWS CLI, run aws configure, and connect it to your account so your terminal can talk to AWS directly. (Credentials on screen are redacted.)

Passwords and API keys do not belong in your code. Secrets Manager is the encrypted vault that keeps them safe and lets your applications pull them when they need them. Store one start to finish, then clean it up.

Bedrock is AWS's managed home for foundation models, Claude included. Tour the console: the model catalog, agents, and where you enable access so your account can actually invoke a model.

Before any app can call a model, its IAM identity needs permission to do so. Create a tight inline policy that allows only the two Bedrock invoke actions, name it "Fable," and attach it to your user.

An access key is how your code authenticates to AWS. Create one the right way, understand why AWS nudges you toward alternatives, and learn the golden rule: the secret is shown only once, so store it safely and never in your code.

Tie it all together with a tiny serverless test. A small Lambda function calls Claude on Bedrock and returns a response, proving your access, policy, and credentials are wired up correctly.