How to register a web domain on AWS with Route 53

Stefano Cortese

Published on 9 Mar 2024

This guide explains how to purchase and register a web domain via AWS using the Route 53 service and how to manage DNS.

Introduction

Amazon Route 53 is a scalable and highly available Domain Name System (DNS) web service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). DNS translates human-readable domain names (like www.stercorte.com) into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on the network.

Costs

The cost of a web domain starts at around $10 per year but can vary up to several thousand dollars depending on its exclusivity and the top-level domain (the extension after the last dot, e.g. .com, .io, .co.uk, etc.).

Once a domain is registered, a default hosted zone will be created, allowing you to direct traffic to your domain.
The cost for each hosted zone is $0.50 per month. It is possible to remove hosted zones to save on this fee.

Please note that it is not possible to purchase an already occupied web domain.

Steps

1. Log in to your AWS Management Console, and in the search bar at the top of the page, look for the service called 'Route 53.'

2. In the 'Register domain' section, enter the domain you want to purchase in the text field (without 'www,' for example, 'stecorte.com').

3. If the domain is available, the price and possible alternatives based on the top-level domain will be displayed. You can choose to purchase any that you prefer.
The displayed price does not include applicable taxes, which will depend on your state of residence.

4. Once you have selected the domain you want to purchase, you will need to fill out a form with your contact information.
At the bottom, you will find a checkbox for privacy protection. Check it if you would like to hide your contact details in public WHOIS databases.
I recommend enabling this option.

5. After completing the purchase, you will be redirected to the page containing the list of your domains.
You may need to wait a few hours before your domain is officially registered. Look for an email from AWS confirming the registration.
Additionally, you will need to confirm the purchased domain through the link provided in an email sent to your contact address.

Manage the DNS records of your domain

To create DNS records for your domain, click on the 'Hosted zones' option in the left menu, select your zone, and click the 'Create record' button.

return;