Step 1: Set up an AWS account and create a User

Before you use Amazon Rekognition for the first time, you must complete the following tasks:

1. Sign up for an AWS account.

2. Create a User.

This section of the developer guide explains why and how you'll create an AWS account and user.

Create an AWS Account and User

AWS Accounts

When you sign up for Amazon Web Services (AWS), your AWS account is automatically signed up for all services in AWS, including Amazon Rekognition. You're charged only for the services that you use.

With Amazon Rekognition, you pay only for the resources that you use.

If you're a new AWS customer, you can get started with Amazon Rekognition for free. For more information, see AWS Free Usage Tier.

Refer to the upcoming Sign up for an AWS account section for account creation instructions.

If you already have an AWS account, skip account setup and create an administrative user.

Users

Services in AWS, such as Amazon Rekognition, require that you provide credentials when you access them. This is so that the service can determine whether you have permissions to access the resources owned by that service.

You can create access keys for your AWS account to access the AWS CLI or APIs while using the console requires your password. However, we don't recommend that you access AWS by using the credentials for your AWS account root user. Instead, we recommend that you use AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to create an administrative user.

You can then access AWS by using a special URL and that administrative user's credentials.

If you signed up for AWS, but you haven't yet created a user for yourself, you can create one by using the IAM console. Refer to the upcoming Create an administrative user section for instructions about how to create an administrative user.

Sign up for an AWS account

If you do not have an AWS account, complete the following steps to create one.

To sign up for an AWS account

1. Open https://portal.aws.amazon.com/billing/signup.

2. Follow the online instructions.

   Part of the sign-up procedure involves receiving a phone call and entering a verification code on the phone keypad.

   When you sign up for an AWS account, an AWS account root user is created. The root user has access to all AWS services and resources in the account. As a security best practice, assign administrative access to an administrative user, and use only the root user to perform tasks that require root user access.

AWS sends you a confirmation email after the sign-up process is complete. At any time, you can view your current account activity and manage your account by going to https://aws.amazon.com/ and choosing My Account.

Create an administrative user

After you sign up for an AWS account, create an administrative user so that you don't use the root user for everyday tasks.

Secure your AWS account root user

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console as the account owner by choosing Root user and entering your AWS account email address. On the next page, enter your password.

   For help signing in by using root user, see Signing in as the root user in the AWS Sign-In User Guide.

2. Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) for your root user.

   For instructions, see Enable a virtual MFA device for your AWS account root user (console) in the IAM User Guide.

Create an administrative user

• For your daily administrative tasks, grant administrative access to an administrative user in AWS IAM Identity Center (successor to AWS Single Sign-On).

  For instructions, see Getting started in the AWS IAM Identity Center (successor to AWS Single Sign-On) User Guide.

Sign in as the administrative user

• To sign in with your IAM Identity Center user, use the sign-in URL that was sent to your email address when you created the IAM Identity Center user.

  For help signing in using an IAM Identity Center user, see Signing in to the AWS access portal in the AWS Sign-In User Guide.