---
title: "Creating AWS EC2 Instances with Pulumi"
meta_desc: "Learn how to use Pulumi to define an AWS EC2 resource which can then be deployed to AWS and managed as infrastructure as code."
meta_image: "/images/docs/service/aws-ec2.png"
service: "EC2"
description: "is a web service that provides secure, resizable compute capacity in the cloud. It is designed to make web-scale cloud computing easier for developers"
aws_here: "https://aws.amazon.com/ec2/"
menu:
  aws:
    name: EC2
    identifier: aws-guides-ec2
    parent: aws-guides
aliases:
- /docs/aws/ec2/
---

## Create an AWS EC2 resource using `@pulumi/aws`

The `@pulumi/aws` library enables fine-grained control over the AWS EC2 resource meaning it can be coded, deployed, and managed entirely in code.

```javascript
const pulumi = require("@pulumi/pulumi");
const aws = require("@pulumi/aws");

// Create a VPC.
const vpc = new aws.ec2.Vpc("vpc", {
    cidrBlock: "10.0.0.0/16",
});

// Create an an internet gateway.
const gateway = new aws.ec2.InternetGateway("gateway", {
    vpcId: vpc.id,
});

// Create a subnet that automatically assigns new instances a public IP address.
const subnet = new aws.ec2.Subnet("subnet", {
    vpcId: vpc.id,
    cidrBlock: "10.0.1.0/24",
    mapPublicIpOnLaunch: true,
});

// Create a route table.
const routes = new aws.ec2.RouteTable("routes", {
    vpcId: vpc.id,
    routes: [
        {
            cidrBlock: "0.0.0.0/0",
            gatewayId: gateway.id,
        },
    ],
});

// Associate the route table with the public subnet.
const routeTableAssociation = new aws.ec2.RouteTableAssociation("route-table-association", {
    subnetId: subnet.id,
    routeTableId: routes.id,
});

// Create a security group allowing inbound access over port 80 and outbound
// access to anywhere.
const securityGroup = new aws.ec2.SecurityGroup("security-group", {
    vpcId: vpc.id,
    ingress: [
        {
            cidrBlocks: [ "0.0.0.0/0" ],
            protocol: "tcp",
            fromPort: 80,
            toPort: 80,
        },
    ],
    egress: [
        {
            cidrBlocks: [ "0.0.0.0/0" ],
            fromPort: 0,
            toPort: 0,
            protocol: "-1",
        },
    ],
});

// Find the latest Amazon Linux 2 AMI.
const ami = pulumi.output(aws.ec2.getAmi({
    owners: [ "amazon" ],
    mostRecent: true,
    filters: [
        { name: "description", values: [ "Amazon Linux 2 *" ] },
    ],
}));

// Create and launch an Amazon Linux EC2 instance into the public subnet.
const instance = new aws.ec2.Instance("instance", {
    ami: ami.id,
    instanceType: "t3.nano",
    subnetId: subnet.id,
    vpcSecurityGroupIds: [
        securityGroup.id,
    ],
    userData: `
        #!/bin/bash
        amazon-linux-extras install nginx1
        amazon-linux-extras enable nginx
        systemctl enable nginx
        systemctl start nginx
    `,
});

// Export the instance's publicly accessible URL.
module.exports = {
    instanceURL: pulumi.interpolate `http://${instance.publicIp}`,
};
```