How do I create and activate a new AWS account?

Resolution

Initial setup

1. Visit the AWS home page.
2. Choose Create an AWS Account.
3. Enter your root user email address.
4. Create and confirm your password.

Account information

1. Select Personal or Business for your account.
2. Enter your contact information.
3. Accept the AWS Customer Agreement.

Payment setup

1. Add a valid payment method.
2. Verify your billing address.

Identity verification

1. Enter your phone number.
2. Receive and enter the verification code.
3. If there's a CAPTCHA, then enter the displayed code and choose Submit.
   Note: To troubleshoot CAPTCHA errors, see How do I resolve an issue with CAPTCHA when I try to sign in to my AWS account?
4. If you're an India-based account, then complete additional verification if required.

Choose a support plan

1. Select from available AWS Support plans.
2. Choose Complete sign up.

Account activation

• Account activation typically takes minutes, but it can take up to 24 hours.
• When account activation is complete, you receive a confirmation email.

Best practices for AWS root user email addresses

The following best practices help maintain secure and continuous access to your AWS account while protecting your resources.

Email address selection

• Use corporate distribution lists.
  Example: it.admins@example.com
• Avoid individual email addresses.
  Example: paulo.santos@example.com
• This maintains continuous account access when employees leave or change roles.

Email security measures

• Secure access to distribution lists.
• Activate multi-factor authentication (MFA) on the root account.
• Keep root account credentials safe for password resets.

Important: Don't use a root user login for routine tasks.

Best practices for AWS account names

• Use consistent naming patterns for quick identification in invoices and the AWS Billing console.
• Company accounts format: organization-purpose-environment
  Example: ExampleCompany-audit-prod
• Personal accounts format: firstname-lastname-purpose
  Example: paulo-santos-testaccount

Note: You can modify your account name later through account settings.

Security recommendation

Refer to Security best practices in AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM).

Troubleshooting delayed activation

1. Complete all sign-up steps.
2. Verify your payment information.
3. Check for emails that ask for additional information.
4. Contact your financial institution for payment processing if needed.
5. Try a different browser.
6. Contact AWS Support if issues persist.

Related information

Understanding unexpected charges

What is the AWS Free Tier and how do I use it?

What do I do if I didn't receive a call from AWS to verify my new account or the PIN that I entered doesn't work?

How do I resolve the "maximum number of failed attempts" error when I try to verify my AWS account by phone?