Getting AWS root account credentials is different than getting IAM user credentials. For AWS root account credentials, you get credentials, like access keys or key pairs, by going to the Security Credentials page in the AWS Management Console. For IAM user credentials, you get credentials by using IAM. The following list describes how you can get each type of credential for the AWS root account or for an IAM user.

Email address and password

The email address and password are specified when the AWS account was created. You can change the email address and password by going to the Security Credentials page.

IAM user name and password

You specify user names when you create them. After you create users, you can create passwords for each user. For more information, see Managing Passwords for IAM Users inUsing IAM.

Note

IAM users can manage their own password but only if they have been given permission to do so. For more information, see Granting IAM Users Permission to Change Their Own Password in Using IAM.

Access keys (access key ID and secret access key)

For AWS account access keys (root users), after you sign up for AWS, you must create access keys for the account. You can retrieve the access key ID from the Security Credentials page, but you cannot retrieve the secret access key. If the secret access key is lost or forgotten, you need to create new access keys. You can create new access keys for the account by going to the Security Credentials page. In the Access Keys section, click Create New Access Key.

For IAM access keys, when you create IAM users, you can create access keys for that user or create them later. For more information, see Creating, Modifying, and Viewing User Access Keys in Using IAM. You'll need to create new access keys if a secret access key is lost or forgotten. You create new access keys for IAM users by using the AWS Management Console.