Create the pipeline

Source and Build from the wizard, then add the deploy stage with its own CodeBuild project.

About 30 min · Verified 8 October 2026

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Pass 1: the wizard
Pipeline settings
Source
Build: create shortlink-web-build
Test and Deploy: skip both
Pass 2: add the deploy stage
Edit the pipeline and add a stage
Configure the WebDeploy action
Verify the structure

You build this pipeline in two passes. The wizard creates Source and Build. Then you edit the pipeline to add a DeployWeb stage, because the wizard's Deploy step cannot run aws s3 sync --delete with your cache headers, but a CodeBuild project can.

Pass 1: the wizard#

Pipeline settings#

Open CodePipelinePipelinesCreate pipeline, choose Build custom pipeline, Next.

Field	Value
Pipeline name	`shortlink-web-prod`
Pipeline type	V2
Execution mode	Queued
Service role	New service role

Leave the artifact store on Default location. It is a private codepipeline-<region>-… bucket, not your website bucket. Choose Next.

Source#

Field	Value
Source provider	GitHub (via GitHub App)
Connection	`shortlink-github`
Repository name	`<GITHUB_USER>`/`shortlink` (your fork)
Default branch	`main`
Output artifact format	CodePipeline default

Under Trigger keep Start the pipeline on source code change and add:

Field	Value
Event type	Push
Branches → Include	`main`
File paths → Include	`shortlink-web/**`, `deploy/buildspec-web.yml`, `deploy/buildspec-web-deploy.yml`

Only commits that change the website or its buildspecs publish a new site. Choose Next.

Build: create shortlink-web-build#

Field	Value
Build provider	Other build providers → AWS CodeBuild
Region	`ap-south-1`
Project name	Create project

In the CodeBuild form:

Field	Value
Project name	`shortlink-web-build`
Project type	Default project
Environment image	Managed image
Compute	EC2
Operating system / Runtime	Amazon Linux / Standard
Image	`aws/codebuild/amazonlinux-x86_64-standard:5.0` (or the newest standard image)
Compute size	3 GB memory, 2 vCPUs or larger (the reference setup used medium)
Service role	New service role
Buildspec	Use a buildspec file → `deploy/buildspec-web.yml`
Logs	CloudWatch logs ticked

Open Additional configuration and add the environment variable that tells the site where the API is:

Name	Value	Type
`VITE_API_BASE_URL`	`<API_URL>`	Plaintext

Choose Continue to CodePipeline. Check Input artifacts is SourceArtifact, Build type is Single build, and leave the output artifact as BuildArtifact. Choose Next.

Test and Deploy: skip both#

Choose Skip test stage, then Skip deploy stage (confirm each). Choose Create pipeline.

The pipeline runs Source → Build once. When Build is green, you have a working build. Nothing is published yet.

Pass 2: add the deploy stage#

Edit the pipeline and add a stage#

Open the pipeline and choose Edit. Under the Build stage choose + Add stage, name it DeployWeb, and Add stage. In the new stage choose + Add action group.

Configure the WebDeploy action#

Field	Value
Action name	`WebDeploy`
Action provider	AWS CodeBuild (listed under Build)
Region	`ap-south-1`
Input artifacts	`BuildArtifact`
Project name	Create project

In the CodeBuild form:

Field	Value
Project name	`shortlink-web-deploy`
Project type	Default project
Environment	same as the build project: managed image, EC2, Amazon Linux, Standard, 5.0
Compute size	the smallest is fine
Service role	New service role
Buildspec	Use a buildspec file → `deploy/buildspec-web-deploy.yml`
Environment variables	none

Choose Continue to CodePipeline, set Build type to Single build, leave Output artifacts empty, and choose Done. Then Done on the stage, and Save the pipeline (confirm).

Verify the structure#

Your computerShow stages and actions

aws codepipeline get-pipeline --region ap-south-1 --name shortlink-web-prod \
  --query 'pipeline.stages[].{stage:name,actions:actions[].{action:name,provider:actionTypeId.provider,project:configuration.ProjectName,in:inputArtifacts[].name,out:outputArtifacts[].name}}' \
  --output json

You should see

Three stages in order: Source → Build (shortlink-web-build, in SourceArtifact, out BuildArtifact) → DeployWeb (WebDeploy, shortlink-web-deploy, in BuildArtifact, no output).

Confirm both CodeBuild projects run in pipeline mode:

Your computerBoth projects must use the CODEPIPELINE types

aws codebuild batch-get-projects --region ap-south-1 --names shortlink-web-build shortlink-web-deploy \
  --query 'projects[].{name:name,source:source.type,artifacts:artifacts.type,buildspec:source.buildspec,webhook:webhook.url}' --output table

source and artifacts must both be CODEPIPELINE and webhook must be empty. Projects created from inside the pipeline editor are right already.

My CodeBuild projects show GitHub as the source, or a webhook is set

That happens when a project was created in the CodeBuild console on its own, before being added to the pipeline. A direct webhook would also start builds that bypass the pipeline. Remove it and switch the types:

Your computerFix a project created outside the pipeline

aws codebuild delete-webhook --region ap-south-1 --project-name shortlink-web-deploy
aws codebuild update-project --region ap-south-1 --name shortlink-web-build \
  --source 'type=CODEPIPELINE,buildspec=deploy/buildspec-web.yml' --artifacts 'type=CODEPIPELINE'
aws codebuild update-project --region ap-south-1 --name shortlink-web-deploy \
  --source 'type=CODEPIPELINE,buildspec=deploy/buildspec-web-deploy.yml' --artifacts 'type=CODEPIPELINE'

Skip delete-webhook if the project has no webhook. Note that the deploy project needs artifacts of type CODEPIPELINE too, even though it produces no output: CodeBuild checks source and artifact types together and rejects NO_ARTIFACTS when the source is CODEPIPELINE.

Next: give the deploy project permission to write to S3.

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