A New AWS Console Home Experience

If you are reading this blog, there is a high chance you frequently use the AWS Management Console. I taught AWS classes for years. During classes, students’ first hands-on experience with the AWS Cloud happened on the console, and I bet yours did too.

Until today, the home page of the console showed your most recently used services and a set of static links organized in sections, such as Getting Started with AWS, Build a Solution, or Explore AWS with links to training courses. However, we learned from our data that their usage is very different depending on your profile. You also told us it is cumbersome and time-consuming to navigate to different parts of the console to get an overview of important information for you.

We listened to your feedback, and I’m happy to announce a redesigned home page for the AWS Management Console. This new home page experience includes dynamic content, can be customized, and includes data from multiple AWS Regions.

The screenshot below shows the default view of this new console home page:

The new Console Home is made of widgets. I may choose which widget to display on the page and where to include it. I may use the actions in the Actions drop down to customize my home page. I may move and arrange widgets on the home page to organize the content as I want. When I click on the three little dots on the widget title bar, I may choose to remove the widget or resize it. I have the choice between Regular view and Extended view.

At launch, the console provides eight widgets, and we will add more over time. Three widgets provide me with static links to learn how to build a solution or to explore AWS (Welcome to AWS, Build a Solution and Explore AWS). The other five are dynamic; their content depends on the usage of AWS by my applications and infrastructure:

• AWS Health: this widget provides information on important events and changes
• Cost and usage: this widget provides an overview of service costs, with a break down per AWS service.
• Favorites: this widget shows a list of services that I have bookmarked
• Recently visited: this widget provides the list of top recently visited services
• Trusted Advisor: this widget provides recommendations to follow AWS best practices

As usual, we pay attention to the importance of not disturbing existing workflows and habits. You can use the new Console Home after opt-in. You can revert back to the old console home with a simple click.

This new Console Home is the first step to bring you more relevant content on this very first page you see every day. Stay tuned for more.

The new Console Home is available today in all AWS Regions at no additional cost. Go and customize your console homepage today.

— seb