Your team may already keep contracts, creative assets or reports in Amazon S3. The people who use those files should not have to learn the AWS console just to find a document. They do need a way to reach the right objects without making a bucket public or passing around access keys.
The right approach depends on whether someone needs one file, a managed upload and download portal, a file browser inside an application you own, or a workspace with previews and team controls. Here are four options and the tradeoffs that decide between them.
For one file: generate a presigned URL
An application or authorized person can generate a presigned URL for a specific S3 object and operation. The recipient opens it in a browser without an AWS sign-in. The URL uses the permissions of the identity that created it and works until its configured expiration or those credentials expire, whichever happens first.
Treat the link as a bearer token: anyone who obtains it can use it while it is valid. A presigned URL is useful for a one-off download or upload, but it is not a folder browser, a user account, or a reliable way to see which person opened a shared link. Keep its lifetime short and share it through an appropriate channel.
For managed transfers: use an AWS Transfer Family web app
AWS Transfer Family web apps provide a managed browser portal for browsing, uploading and downloading S3 data. They integrate with IAM Identity Center for sign-in and S3 Access Grants for authorization, so users see the locations they are allowed to access. You configure the identity, grants and app, then provide its URL to users.
This is a strong fit when the job is moving files and your organization wants an AWS-managed portal. Check the service prerequisites and limits before rollout. If your team needs richer document previews, archive inspection or a product-specific workflow, evaluate those needs separately rather than assuming a transfer portal includes them.
For your own app: embed Storage Browser for Amazon S3
Storage Browser for Amazon S3 is an open-source React component for browsing and common file operations inside a web application. It can list, get, upload, copy and delete objects according to the access you configure. Your team still has to build or operate the surrounding app, provide authentication and authorization, and decide how to handle formats the browser cannot preview.
Choose this route when you already own a React app and want S3 file navigation as part of it. It gives developers control over the experience, along with responsibility for the identity and application layers.
For everyday file work: use a dedicated workspace
A workspace can make S3 feel closer to the document tools a business team expects: browse prefixes, preview files, and give each person a role. Before choosing one, ask how it gets access to your bucket, whether it stores file contents, which formats really open in the browser, and what it records when someone shares or changes a file.
BucketDesk connects to customer-owned S3 through a scoped IAM role deployed with CloudFormation. People sign in to BucketDesk instead of receiving AWS access keys. Starter covers one bucket with PDF, image and text previews. Pro adds Office and media previews, external sharing, and team roles. Business adds uploads, document questions and manual cold-storage restores. Review each plan’s limits against the work your team actually does.
A quick way to choose
- One object for one recipient: issue a short-lived presigned URL and protect the link.
- Routine browse, upload and download with AWS-managed hosting: assess a Transfer Family web app.
- S3 navigation inside your own React product: build on Storage Browser for Amazon S3.
- Previews, team roles and workflow controls across business files: evaluate a dedicated workspace and verify its access and data-handling model.
Start with the task people need to complete, then choose the smallest access surface that supports it. For a single file, use a presigned URL. For regular team work, compare a managed portal, an embedded browser and a dedicated workspace against your identity, preview and audit requirements.