**Introducing a new console experience for Amazon WAF**

You can now use the updated experience to access Amazon WAF functionality anywhere in the console. For more details, see [Working with the console](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/waf/latest/developerguide/working-with-console.html). 

# Setting up Amazon WAF Classic
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**Warning**  
Amazon WAF Classic is is going through a planned end-of-life process. Refer to your Amazon Health dashboard for the milestones and dates specific to your Region.

**Note**  
This is **Amazon WAF Classic** documentation. You should only use this version if you created Amazon WAF resources, like rules and web ACLs, in Amazon WAF prior to November 2019, and you have not migrated them over to the latest version yet. To migrate your web ACLs, see [Migrating your Amazon WAF Classic resources to Amazon WAF](waf-migrating-from-classic.md).  
**For the latest version of Amazon WAF**, see [Amazon WAF](waf-chapter.md). 

This topic describes preliminary steps, such as creating a user account, to prepare you to use Amazon WAF Classic. You aren't charged for these. You are charged only for Amazon services that you use. 

**Note**  
If you're a new user to Amazon WAF, don't follow these setup steps for Amazon WAF Classic. Instead, follow the steps for the latest version of Amazon WAF, at [Setting up your account to use the services](setting-up-waf.md). 

After you complete these steps, see [Getting started with Amazon WAF Classic](classic-getting-started.md) to continue getting started with Amazon WAF Classic.

**Note**  
Amazon Shield Standard is included with Amazon WAF Classic and does not require additional setup. For more information, see [How Amazon Shield and Shield Advanced work](ddos-overview.md).

Before you use Amazon WAF Classic or Amazon Shield Advanced for the first time, complete the steps in this section. 

**Topics**
+ [Sign up for an Amazon Web Services account](#sign-up-for-aws)
+ [Secure IAM users](#secure-an-admin)
+ [Download tools](#classic-setting-up-waf-tools)

## Sign up for an Amazon Web Services account
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If you do not have an Amazon Web Services account, use the following procedure to create one.

**To sign up for Amazon Web Services**

1. Open [http://www.amazonaws.cn/](http://www.amazonaws.cn/) and choose **Sign Up**.

1. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Amazon sends you a confirmation email after the sign-up process is complete. At any time, you can view your current account activity and manage your account by going to [http://www.amazonaws.cn/](http://www.amazonaws.cn/) and choosing **My Account**.

## Secure IAM users
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After you sign up for an Amazon Web Services account, safeguard your administrative user by turning on multi-factor authentication (MFA). For instructions, see [Enable a virtual MFA device for an IAM user (console)](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/IAM/latest/UserGuide/id_credentials_mfa_enable_virtual.html#enable-virt-mfa-for-iam-user) in the *IAM User Guide*.

To give other users access to your Amazon Web Services account resources, create IAM users. To secure your IAM users, turn on MFA and only give the IAM users the permissions needed to perform their tasks.

For more information about creating and securing IAM users, see the following topics in the *IAM User Guide*: 
+ [Creating an IAM user in your Amazon Web Services account](https://docs.amazonaws.cn//IAM/latest/UserGuide/id_users_create.html)
+ [Access management for Amazon resources](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/IAM/latest/UserGuide/access.html)
+ [Example IAM identity-based policies](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/IAM/latest/UserGuide/access_policies_examples.html)

## Download tools
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The Amazon Web Services Management Console includes a console for Amazon WAF Classic, but if you want to access Amazon WAF Classic programmatically, see the following:
+ If you want to call the Amazon WAF Classic API without having to handle low-level details like assembling raw HTTP requests, you can use an Amazon SDK. The Amazon SDKs provide functions and data types that encapsulate the functionality of Amazon WAF Classic and other Amazon services. To download an Amazon SDK, see the applicable page, which also includes prerequisites and installation instructions:
  + [Java](https://aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-java/)
  + [JavaScript](http://aws.amazon.com/sdkforbrowser/)
  + [.NET](https://aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-net/)
  + [Node.js](https://aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-node-js/)
  + [PHP](https://aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-php/)
  + [Python](https://github.com/boto/boto)
  + [Ruby](https://aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-ruby/)

  For a complete list of Amazon SDKs, see [Tools for Amazon Web Services](http://aws.amazon.com/tools/).
+ If you're using a programming language for which Amazon doesn't provide an SDK, the [Amazon WAF API Reference](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/waf/latest/APIReference/) documents the operations that Amazon WAF Classic supports. 
+ The Amazon Command Line Interface (Amazon CLI) supports Amazon WAF Classic. The Amazon CLI lets you control multiple Amazon services from the command line and automate them through scripts. For more information, see [Amazon Command Line Interface](https://aws.amazon.com/cli/).
+ Amazon Tools for Windows PowerShell supports Amazon WAF Classic. For more information, see [Amazon Tools for PowerShell Cmdlet Reference](http://aws.amazon.com/documentation/powershell/).