> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vidow.io/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set Up AWS S3 — Cloud Video Storage Setup Guide

> Configure an AWS S3 bucket and IAM credentials to use S3 as your Video Downloader Plus video storage destination with full multipart upload support.

AWS S3 connects via API keys rather than OAuth. You create a dedicated IAM user with narrowly scoped permissions, generate an access key pair, and enter those credentials in Video Downloader Plus. Your AWS root account is never involved.

## Prerequisites

* A Video Downloader Plus account on the [Professional plan](/billing/plans)
* An AWS account with S3 access
* An S3 bucket to use for video storage
* An IAM user with upload permissions on that bucket

## Step 1: Create an S3 bucket

If you haven't set one up yet:

1. Open the [AWS S3 Console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/s3/)
2. Click **Create bucket**
3. Give the bucket a name — for example, `my-vidow-videos`
4. Pick the AWS region geographically closest to you; this reduces upload latency
5. Leave Block Public Access enabled and all other defaults in place
6. Click **Create bucket**

## Step 2: Create an IAM user

Video Downloader Plus needs a dedicated IAM user with the minimum permissions required to upload files:

1. Open the [IAM Console](https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/)
2. Go to **Users** and click **Create user**
3. Give the user a descriptive name such as `vidow-uploader`
4. On the permissions step, choose **Attach policies directly**
5. Click **Create policy**, switch to the JSON editor, and paste the following:

```json theme={null}
{
  "Version": "2012-10-17",
  "Statement": [
    {
      "Effect": "Allow",
      "Action": [
        "s3:PutObject",
        "s3:CreateMultipartUpload",
        "s3:UploadPart",
        "s3:CompleteMultipartUpload",
        "s3:AbortMultipartUpload",
        "s3:ListMultipartUploadParts"
      ],
      "Resource": "arn:aws:s3:::YOUR-BUCKET-NAME/*"
    }
  ]
}
```

Replace `YOUR-BUCKET-NAME` with the name of the bucket you created in Step 1.

6. Save the policy, then attach it to the new IAM user

<Warning>Use only the six actions listed above. Do not use the wildcard `s3:*` or attach the managed `AmazonS3FullAccess` policy — those grant far more access than Video Downloader Plus needs.</Warning>

## Step 3: Generate access keys

1. In the IAM Console, click the user you just created
2. Open the **Security credentials** tab
3. Under **Access keys**, click **Create access key**
4. Select **Third-party service** when asked for the use case
5. Copy both the **Access Key ID** and the **Secret Access Key**

<Warning>AWS shows the Secret Access Key only at the moment of creation. Store it somewhere secure before closing the dialog — if you lose it, you'll need to delete the key and create a new one.</Warning>

## Step 4: Connect in Video Downloader Plus

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Cloud Sync">
    Go to [vidow.io/cloud-sync](https://vidow.io/cloud-sync) and sign in.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Connect on AWS S3">
    Find the AWS S3 card and click **Connect** to open the credentials form.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter your credentials">
    Fill in the four fields:

    * **Access Key ID** — The key ID from your IAM user
    * **Secret Access Key** — The secret from the key you created
    * **Bucket name** — Your S3 bucket name exactly as it appears in the console
    * **Region** — The AWS region where the bucket lives (e.g., `us-east-1`)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test and save">
    Video Downloader Plus performs a quick validation against your bucket. If the credentials are correct and the permissions are in place, the connection is saved and you can start syncing.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## How uploads work

Video Downloader Plus uses **multipart upload** for files larger than 100MB:

* Each file is split into 10MB parts
* Parts transfer in parallel, which saturates available bandwidth and reduces total upload time
* Individual parts can be paused and resumed without restarting the whole transfer
* If a part fails, only that part is retried
* Multipart upload supports files up to 50TB

Files under 100MB skip the multipart flow and upload in a single direct request, which is faster for smaller videos.

## Managing the connection

### Rotate credentials

When you need to replace your IAM access keys:

1. Create a new key pair in the IAM Console
2. Go to [vidow.io/cloud-sync](https://vidow.io/cloud-sync) and edit the S3 connection
3. Replace the old credentials with the new ones and save

### Disconnect

Click disconnect on the S3 card to remove the connection from Video Downloader Plus. Your S3 bucket and all previously uploaded files stay intact — Video Downloader Plus only removes its own stored credentials.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Access denied error">
    Check that your IAM policy includes all six required actions: `PutObject`, `CreateMultipartUpload`, `UploadPart`, `CompleteMultipartUpload`, `AbortMultipartUpload`, and `ListMultipartUploadParts`. Also confirm the `Resource` ARN in the policy ends with `/*` and matches your bucket name exactly.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Wrong region error">
    S3 bucket names are globally unique, but each bucket is tied to a specific region. The region you enter in Video Downloader Plus must match the region where the bucket was created. Check the bucket details in the S3 Console if you're unsure.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Upload timeout">
    On slower or unstable connections, large file transfers can stall. Try pausing and resuming the upload from the Cloud Sync page — this resets the active connection without losing progress. Also check whether your bucket has any lifecycle rules or policies that might be terminating in-progress multipart uploads.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>