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How to Access a Public S3 Bucket from the Browser

Public S3 buckets can be accessed without AWS credentials. Here's how to browse one using the S3 Browser tool:

Step-by-Step

  1. Navigate to the S3 Browser tool.
  2. In the connection panel, enter the bucket's region (e.g. us-east-1).
  3. Leave the Access Key and Secret Key fields empty — public buckets don't require authentication.
  4. Enter the bucket name and click Connect.
  5. You should now see the bucket's contents listed in the file browser.

Common Public Buckets to Try

  • aws-roda — Registry of Open Data on AWS
  • noaa-ghcn-pds — NOAA weather data
  • spacenet-dataset — Satellite imagery

Troubleshooting

  • Make sure the bucket is actually public — you'll get an Access Denied error otherwise
  • Double-check the region matches where the bucket is hosted
  • Some public buckets require the requester-pays header, which needs valid credentials