How to Get AWS Access Key and Secret Key

To use AWS services programmatically—whether via the AWS CLI, SDKs, or third-party tools—you need an access key ID and a secret access key. These keys act like a username and password for automated access and are essential for securely interacting with AWS resources outside of the web console.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to safely generate your access keys using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM). 

A step-by-step guide to getting AWS access and secret key

1. Log in to the AWS Management Console

Sign in to your AWS Management Console using the credentials of the root user account or any other IAM user with admin privileges.

2. Open the IAM Dashboard

In the AWS Console home page, search for IAM in the top search bar and click on IAM (Manage access to AWS resources) to open the IAM Dashboard.

3. Go to “Users”

In the left sidebar, click on Users and select the IAM user for whom you want to generate the access key.

4. Open the “Security credentials” tab

Inside the selected user’s page, click on the “Security credentials” tab and scroll down to the “Access keys” section.

5. Create the access key

Click the Create access key button and choose the use case (e.g., CLI, SDK, etc.). You can also add a description tag if needed and then click on the Create access key.

6. Save the access and secret key

After you’ve created the Access key and Secret key, you can click Download .csv or copy and store them in a secure location. Remember that you won’t be able to see the secret key again. If you lose it, you’ll need to delete and regenerate the keys again.