How Can AWS Amplify Improve Your Development Process?

Setting up authentication can be a complex, often requiring a backend to manage user data. But AWS Amplify makes it easier, allowing even non-technical users to set up authentication by simply following the documentation.

As developers, we want to focus on building features rather than dealing with servers, databases, and authentication complexities. AWS Amplify, a Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) solution, handles these challenges so you don’t have to.

In this article, I’ll discuss how I built a full-stack application using only AWS Amplify—no SQL, no MongoDB. I’ll also share an article of other BaaS options you might find useful:What is Backend as a Service (BaaS)? A Beginner's Guide

What is AWS Amplify

AWS Amplify is a cloud-based development platform provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that allows developers to build scalable and secure web and mobile applications. It offers a set of tools and services for backend management, authentication, APIs, storage, and hosting. Amplify integrates seamlessly with popular frontend frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular, making it a great choice for full-stack development.

Advantages of AWS Amplify

1. Easy Hosting – Quickly deploy and host web and mobile applications with automatic updates.

2. Full-Stack Development – Build both frontend and backend seamlessly in one platform.

3. Authentication – Easily add user sign-up, sign-in, and access control with AWS Cognito.

4. Scalability – Automatically scales to handle traffic without extra setup.

5. Storage & Database – Manage files and databases effortlessly using AWS services.

6. CI/CD Support – Automates builds, tests, and deployments for smooth development.

Why AWS Amplify Stands Out

AWS Amplify is a powerful Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) that deeply integrates with AWS services, offering flexibility for both low-code and full-code development.

What Makes Amplify Unique?

• Seamless AWS Integration

• Works smoothly with AWS services like Cognito (auth), S3 (storage), and Lambda (functions) for better scalability and security.

• Supports Multiple Frameworks.

• Compatible with React, Next.js, Vue, Angular, Flutter, and native mobile (iOS/Android), with strong AWS-native support for SSR in Next.js.

• Built-in CI/CD.

• Automates deployment, hosting, and updates for web and mobile apps.

Building a Full-Stack Application with AWS Amplify

To create a full-stack application

Install the AWS Amplify SDK at the root of your application by running:

npm install aws-amplify or npm create amplify@latest -y

Follow the official documentation and on-screen instructions for setup. The installation process is straightforward and ensures your frontend can interact with AWS services.

Challenge

Every project comes with its challenges, even if you've done it before.

• Authentication: authentication refused to work, and I kept encountering errors when trying to sign in.

Solution:
The issue was with my amplify-output.json file—it wasn't configured properly. To fix it, I had to:

• Delete the amplify-output.json file and ensure it was in the root of my application.

• Reinstall it properly.

• Check my tsconfig.json file for any type definition errors.

To clear the type definition error, I ran:

npm install --save-dev @types/fs-extra

Then, I rebuilt the project using:

npx ampx sandbox

This resolved the issue, and my authentication started working correctly.

• Index.html Error: After deploying my app on GitHub, it wasn’t visible when hosted.

Solution:

• Tried hosting on another platform like Netlify which provided an error logs.

• Identified the issue from the logs, deleted unnecessary files, and restarted the project.

• Added a redirect file to ensure index.html was properly redirected.

• Redeployed the app, and it worked successfully.

Conclusion

AWS Amplify makes building and deploying full-stack applications fast and easy. With built-in authentication, backend APIs, and hosting, it streamlines the development process. While I faced some challenges, the setup was straightforward, and the documentation was helpful. AWS Amplify is a great choice if you want a fast and efficient way to develop and host your app!

You can find the repository link here.

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Thank you for reading 💖.