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This guide explains how to configure an Amazon S3 bucket for public access so you can create datasets in Visual Layer cloud. Making a bucket public allows anyone with the bucket URL to access its contents.
Making a bucket public means anyone with the URL can access the data. Only use this approach for non-sensitive data that you intend to share publicly.

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Prerequisites

Before configuring your bucket, ensure you have the following:
  • An AWS account with permissions to modify S3 bucket settings
  • An existing S3 bucket containing the data you want to use
  • Visual Layer cloud account

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Step 1: Disable block public access settings

AWS blocks public access to S3 buckets by default. You need to disable this protection before applying a public bucket policy.
  1. Log into the AWS Management Console.
  2. Navigate to the S3 service.
  3. Select the bucket you want to make public.
  4. Select the Permissions tab.
  5. In the Block public access (bucket settings) section, select Edit.
  6. Uncheck Block all public access.
  7. Select Save changes.
  8. Confirm by typing confirm in the confirmation dialog.

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Step 2: Add the public bucket policy

After disabling the block public access settings, you need to add a bucket policy that grants public read access.
  1. In the Permissions tab of your bucket, scroll down to Bucket policy.
  2. Select Edit.
  3. Add the following policy, replacing <bucket_name> with your actual bucket name: 
{
    "Version": "2012-10-17",
    "Statement": [
        {
            "Sid": "PublicReadGetObject",
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Principal": "*",
            "Action": "s3:GetObject",
            "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::<bucket_name>/*"
        },
        {
            "Sid": "PublicListBucket",
            "Effect": "Allow",
            "Principal": "*",
            "Action": "s3:ListBucket",
            "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::<bucket_name>"
        }
    ]
}
  1. Select Save changes. Your bucket is now configured for public access.

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Step 3: Create a dataset in Visual Layer

Once your bucket is publicly accessible, you can create a dataset in Visual Layer using the bucket URL.
  1. Create a new dataset in Visual Layer.
  2. Select Public S3 Bucket as the data source.
  3. Enter your S3 bucket URL in the format: s3://your-bucket-name or https://your-bucket-name.s3.amazonaws.com. Visual Layer will import the data from your public bucket.