For one file, use CloudShell’s Actions menu. For a batch, transfer a ZIP archive or use Amazon S3 with the AWS CLI. To keep files between standard CloudShell sessions, save them in $HOME; to protect important files, back them up to S3 or download an archive. First check your environment: VPC CloudShell does not offer the Actions-menu file transfers and its home directory is deleted when the session ends.
Choose a workflow that fits the transfer
| Method | Best for | Key constraints |
|---|---|---|
| Actions menu | Moving one local file into or out of standard CloudShell | Transfers one file at a time. Upload and download are unavailable in VPC environments; download is also unavailable when CloudShell is launched from the Console Toolbar. AWS’s getting-started guide explains the controls. |
| ZIP archive | Moving a group of files through the interface | Package the files into one archive, transfer it, then extract or download it. You must select the files to include. AWS says ZIP utilities are preinstalled in CloudShell. See AWS’s multi-file transfer guide. |
| Amazon S3 and AWS CLI | Repeated or larger directory transfers, and backups | Requires suitable S3 access and IAM permissions. Data transfer charges may apply. The bucket also has its own access and storage considerations. See AWS’s multi-file transfer guide. |
1. Transfer one file with the Actions menu
In a standard CloudShell environment, choose Actions > Upload file, select a file on your computer, and upload it. The interface transfers one file at a time, as AWS states in its multi-file guidance. After upload, use shell commands such as ls, mkdir, mv, and cd to find and organize the file.
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To retrieve a file, choose Actions > Download file and enter its path. You can enter an absolute path or one relative to /home/cloudshell-user/. The download control is unavailable when CloudShell is opened from the Console Toolbar. Neither Actions-menu transfer is available in a VPC environment. These restrictions are described in AWS’s getting-started guide.
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Option A: Package files into a ZIP archive
ZIP is a straightforward choice when you want to move a batch through the interface. On your local computer, create an archive containing the files you need. Upload that single archive through Actions > Upload file, then extract it in CloudShell:
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unzip zipped-files.zip -d my-unzipped-folderFor a download, create one archive from the files in CloudShell and retrieve that archive using Actions > Download file:
zip -r files-to-download.zip path-to-filesCheck which files and directories are included before transferring the archive. This method still depends on the Actions-menu controls, so it is not available in VPC environments. AWS documents the ZIP workflow and the preinstalled utilities in its multi-file transfer guide.
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Option B: Use an S3 bucket as an intermediary
For directory transfers, AWS documents using an S3 bucket and the AWS CLI’s aws s3 sync command. The local computer needs the AWS CLI installed and configured; CloudShell has an AWS CLI available with an authenticated session. Authentication does not itself grant permission to access a bucket: the caller must be authorized for the operations they perform.
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AWS lists s3:CreateBucket, s3:PutObject, s3:GetObject, and s3:ListBucket for the documented multi-file workflow. Check the permissions attached to your identity and any bucket policies before starting. Transfer charges may apply. Follow the command examples and permission details in AWS’s multi-file transfer guide.
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AWS says incoming internet traffic is not allowed to CloudShell, so scp and rsync cannot be used to copy files from a local machine into the CloudShell compute environment. Use the documented ZIP or S3 workflow instead. For a VPC environment, AWS notes that other CLI transfer methods may work if the environment has internet access; that does not make the Actions-menu controls available. See AWS’s transfer guidance and its VPC environment documentation.
3. Keep files between sessions and make backups
Save persistent files in the standard environment’s home directory
In a standard CloudShell environment, up to 1 GB of persistent storage is available in the home directory for each AWS Region. Files outside $HOME are temporary and recycled when the session ends. The home directory is separate in each Region, so changing Regions means working with a different home directory. AWS describes the quota and persistence behavior in AWS CloudShell Concepts.
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Back up important files
Persistent storage is useful for continuing work, but it is not a substitute for a separate backup. AWS documents archiving the home directory with tar or ZIP, then either downloading the resulting archive or transferring it to S3. It also shows recursive S3 copying for backups. See AWS’s getting-started guide for examples; S3 transfer charges may apply.
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