MCPInstall

django-storages-s3

by jeffallanBackend & APIs

Use when configuring Django to store static and media files on AWS S3 with django-storages. Invoke when working with the STORAGES setting, S3 buckets, presigned URLs, CloudFront, or boto3-backed file storage in settings.py. Configures the Django 4.2+ STORAGES dict, public/private custom backends, presigned GET/POST URLs, IAM policies, and S3 mocking for tests. Trigger terms: django-storages, S3, boto3, S3Boto3Storage, STORAGES, presigned URL, CloudFront, media files, collectstatic, AWSSTORAGEBUCKETNAME.

Installs
921
Last 24h
+25
Trending rank
#4873
Security
Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/jeffallan/claude-skills --skill django-storages-s3
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads django-storages-s3 automatically when relevant.

  3. 03

    Review the result

    The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Django Storages S3

Senior Django specialist for production-grade file storage on AWS S3 via django-storages and boto3 — public and private media, static files, presigned URLs, and CloudFront.

When to Use This Skill

  • Serving static and/or media files from AWS S3 instead of the local filesystem
  • Configuring the Django 4.2+ STORAGES dict or legacy DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE
  • Separating public (CDN-served) and private (presigned) file backends
  • Generating presigned download or direct browser-to-S3 upload URLs
  • Fronting S3 with CloudFront and writing a least-privilege IAM policy
  • Migrating local FileField/ImageField storage to S3 without code changes
  • Testing storage code without hitting S3

Core Workflow

  1. Install & register — pip install django-storages[s3] boto3; add "storages" to INSTALLED_APPS
  2. Configure credentials — Load from env vars or rely on an attached IAM role; never hardcode
  3. Wire the STORAGES dict — Set default (media) and staticfiles backends with separate location prefixes
  4. Add named backends — Split public vs. private buckets/ACLs as additional STORAGES entries when needed
  5. Verify & test — Run collectstatic, confirm uploads land in S3, and mock S3 in tests with InMemoryStorage or moto

Reference Guide

Load detailed guidance based on context:

TopicReferenceLoad When
Settings & STORAGESreferences/configuration.mdCore settings, 4.2+ vs legacy, CloudFront
Custom backendsreferences/custom-backends.mdPublic vs. private buckets, per-field storage
Presigned URLsreferences/presigned-urls.mdDownload links, direct browser uploads
Testing & IAMreferences/testing-storages.mdMocking S3, IAM policy, common pitfalls

Minimal Working Example

The snippet below demonstrates the core MUST DO constraints: env-loaded credentials, STORAGES dict, separate media/static locations, and default_acl=None on the media backend.

# settings.py
import os

AWS_STORAGE_BUCKET_NAME = os.environ["AWS_STORAGE_BUCKET_NAME"]
AWS_S3_REGION_NAME = os.environ.get("AWS_S3_REGION_NAME", "us-east-1")
AWS_S3_CUSTOM_DOMAIN = f"{AWS_STORAGE_BUCKET_NAME}.s3.{AWS_S3_REGION_NAME}.amazonaws.com"
# On EC2/ECS/Lambda, omit keys entirely — boto3 uses the attached IAM role.

STORAGES = {
    "default": {  # media uploads
        "BACKEND": "storages.backends.s3boto3.S3Boto3Storage",
        "OPTIONS": {
            "bucket_name": AWS_STORAGE_BUCKET_NAME,
            "location": "media",
            "default_acl": None,        # rely on bucket policy, not per-object ACLs
            "file_overwrite": False,
            "querystring_auth": False,  # public objects → clean URLs
        },
    },
    "staticfiles": {
        "BACKEND": "storages.backends.s3boto3.S3StaticStorage",
        "OPTIONS": {
            "bucket_name": AWS_STORAGE_BUCKET_NAME,
            "location": "static",
        },
    },
}

MEDIA_URL = f"https://{AWS_S3_CUSTOM_DOMAIN}/media/"
STATIC_URL = f"https://{AWS_S3_CUSTOM_DOMAIN}/static/"

# models.py — uploads go straight to S3 on save()
from django.db import models

class Document(models.Model):
    file = models.FileField(upload_to="docs/")  # uses STORAGES["default"]

Auditing an Existing Configuration

When reviewing a project that already uses S3 (not greenfield), walk this checklist — each item is a constraint below rephrased as "find X, confirm Y":

  1. Credentials — grep -rn "AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY\|aws_secret" settings/ → confirm values come from os.environ/django-environ or an IAM role, never literals committed to the repo.
  2. ACLs — grep -rn "default_acl\|AWS_DEFAULT_ACL" . → on buckets created after April 2023, every value must be None. Any "public-read"/"private" will raise AccessControlListNotSupported; public access belongs in a bucket policy.
  3. Storage backend — confirm Django 4.2+ uses the STORAGES dict, not DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE/STATICFILES_STORAGE (removed in Django 5.1, so silently ignored on 5.1/5.2/6.0); confirm the static class is S3StaticStorage, not a fabricated name.
  4. Locations — confirm default (media) and staticfiles have distinct location prefixes or buckets so collectstatic never collides with uploads.
  5. Region — confirm region_name (or the global AWS_S3_REGION_NAME) matches the bucket's real region and that AWS_S3_CUSTOM_DOMAIN includes the region segment for non-us-east-1 buckets.
  6. Presigning — for private backends, confirm querystring_auth=True and custom_domain=None; confirm presigned .url() results aren't cached past AWS_QUERYSTRING_EXPIRE.
  7. Overwrite cleanup — where file_overwrite=False, confirm replaced files are explicitly deleted (otherwise superseded objects leak).
  8. IAM — confirm the policy grants only Get/Put/Delete/ListBucket on the bucket ARN, not broader S3 access.

Constraints

MUST DO

  • Load AWS credentials from environment variables or an attached IAM role
  • Set default_acl=None so bucket policies (not object ACLs) control access
  • Give static and media files separate location prefixes or separate buckets
  • Use the STORAGES dict on Django 4.2+ (same config through 5.2 LTS and 6.0); DEFAULT_FILE_STORAGE/STATICFILES_STORAGE were removed in 5.1, so reserve them for < 4.2 only
  • Set custom_domain=None on any backend that issues presigned URLs
  • Mock S3 (InMemoryStorage or moto) in tests instead of hitting real buckets

MUST NOT DO

  • Hardcode AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY in settings.py or commit it
  • Mix querystring_auth=True with a custom_domain (presigning breaks)
  • Mix static and media files under the same prefix
  • Grant the IAM user broader than Get/Put/Delete/ListBucket on the bucket ARN
  • Rely on per-object ACLs on buckets created after April 2023 (ACLs disabled by default)

Knowledge Reference

django-storages, S3Boto3Storage, S3StaticStorage, boto3, STORAGES dict, presigned URLs, generate_presigned_post, CloudFront, IAM policy, InMemoryStorage, moto

Related Skills

  • django-expert — core Django models, DRF, and ORM that produce the files this skill persists to S3
  • fullstack-guardian — secure end-to-end upload flows and access control around stored files
  • devops-engineer — provisioning the S3 buckets, IAM roles, and CloudFront distributions this skill targets

Documentation

FAQ

What does the django-storages-s3 skill do?

Use when configuring Django to store static and media files on AWS S3 with django-storages. Invoke when working with the STORAGES setting, S3 buckets, presigned URLs, CloudFront, or boto3-backed file storage in settings.py. Configures the Django 4.2+ STORAGES dict, public/private custom backends, presigned GET/POST URLs, IAM policies, and S3 mocking for tests. Trigger terms: django-storages, S3, boto3, S3Boto3Storage, STORAGES, presigned URL, CloudFront, media files, collectstatic, AWSSTORAGEBUCKETNAME.

How do I install django-storages-s3?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/jeffallan/claude-skills --skill django-storages-s3 in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/django-storages-s3/ (personal) or .claude/skills/django-storages-s3/ (project).

Which AI agents can use django-storages-s3?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is django-storages-s3 safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains django-storages-s3?

It is published by jeffallan in jeffallan/claude-skills. It has 921 recorded installs.

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