How I Learned to Make S3 Buckets Clean Themselves with Lifecycle Rules

When I first started using Amazon S3, I thought: “Okay, it’s just storage. You upload files, they stay there forever.”
But then I realized something—files that “stay forever” also mean bigger bills forever. That’s when I stumbled upon S3 Lifecycle Rules.

🌱 What are Lifecycle Rules?

Think of them as little automation scripts that live inside your S3 bucket. They quietly decide when and how objects should move, archive, or get deleted—without you lifting a finger.

Example:

• After 30 days, move files from S3 Standard → S3 Standard-IA (cheaper, infrequent access).

• After 90 days, archive them to Glacier (super cheap, but slower retrieval).

• After 365 days, delete them completely.

It’s like Marie Kondo for your S3 bucket—keeping things organized and cost-efficient.

⚙️ How I Set It Up

1. Go to your S3 bucket → Management tab.

2. Click on Lifecycle rules → Create rule.

3. I created a rule named archive-old-logs.

   • Filter: Prefix = logs/ (so it only applies to my log files).

   • Transition: After 30 days, move to Standard-IA.

   • Expiration: After 180 days, delete them.

Done! Now my bucket cleans itself up.

🚀 Why It’s a Game Changer

• Cost savings → No need to pay high rates for old files.

• Automation → I don’t have to babysit the bucket.

• Organization → My bucket doesn’t turn into a “digital junk drawer.”

💡 Pro tip

If you’re running a project with log files, always create a Lifecycle rule. Logs pile up faster than you think.