Create an Amazon Cloud Directory - Amazon Cloud Directory

Amazon Cloud Directory will no longer be open to new customers starting on November 7, 2025. For alternatives to Cloud Directory, explore Amazon DynamoDB and Amazon Neptune. If you need help choosing the right alternative for your use case, or for any other questions, contact AWS Support.

Create an Amazon Cloud Directory

Before you can create a directory in Amazon Cloud Directory, AWS Directory Service requires that you first apply a schema to it. A directory cannot be created without a schema and typically has one schema applied to it. However, you use Cloud Directory API operations to apply additional schemas to a directory. For more information, see ApplySchema in the Amazon Cloud Directory API Reference Guide.

To create a Cloud Directory

  1. In the AWS Directory Service console navigation pane, under Cloud Directory, choose Directories.

  2. Choose Set up Cloud Directory.

  3. Under Choose a schema to apply to your new directory, type the friendly name of your directory, such as User Repository, and then choose one of the following options:

    • Managed schema

    • Sample schema

    • Custom schema

    Sample schemas and custom schemas are placed in the Development state, by default. For more information about schema states, see Schema Lifecycle. Before a schema can be applied to a directory, it must be converted into the Published state. To successfully publish a sample schema using the console, you must have permissions to the following actions:

    • clouddirectory:Get*

    • clouddirectory:List*

    • clouddirectory:CreateSchema

    • clouddirectory:CreateDirectory

    • clouddirectory:PutSchemaFromJson

    • clouddirectory:PublishSchema

    • clouddirectory:DeleteSchema

    Since sample schemas are read-only templates provided by AWS Directory Service, they cannot be published directly. Instead, when you choose to create a directory based on a sample schema, the console creates a temporary copy of the sample schema you selected and places it in the Development state. It then creates a copy of that development schema and places it in the Published state. Once published, the development schema is deleted, which is why the DeleteSchema action is necessary when publishing a sample schema.

  4. Choose Next.

  5. Review the directory information and make any necessary changes. When the information is correct, choose Create.