This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Gopi Krishnan VM
Introduction
Looking for an easy way to deploy your .NET 8 API on AWS without managing servers? AWS Fargate is a serverless container service that lets you do just that — no need to set up EC2 instances or deal with Kubernetes!
In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to deploy a .NET 8 API using Docker on AWS Fargate in just 7 minutes. This is a step-by-step process, perfect for both beginners and experienced developers.
Prefer a video tutorial? Watch my full YouTube guide here:
How to Deploy .NET 8 API on AWS Fargate (7-Min Tutorial): Link
Why Use AWS Fargate for .NET APIs?
Here’s why AWS Fargate is one of the best ways to host a .NET 8 API:
No Servers to Manage — AWS runs and scales everything for you.
Pay Only for What You Use — No need to keep EC2 instances running. Auto-Scaling — Can handle sudden traffic spikes automatically.
Easy Setup — Just upload your Docker image and go live!
Step-by-Step: Deploy .NET 8 API on AWS Fargate
Let’s go through the steps one by one.
Step 1: Create an ECS Cluster
AWS ECS (Elastic Container Service) needs a Cluster to organize and manage your containers.
Think of a Cluster as a “workspace” where your API will run.
Go to AWS ECS Console → Clusters → Create Cluster.
Select Networking only (AWS Fargate) since we don’t need EC2.
Name it something like dotnet8-cluster and click Create.
Your cluster is now ready! 
Step 2: Create a Task Definition
A Task Definition is like a blueprint that tells AWS how to run your container.
Go to ECS → Task Definitions → Create New Task Definition.
Choose Fargate as the launch type.
Give it a name (e.g., dotnet8-task).
Add your Docker image URI from AWS ECR (Elastic Container Registry).
Set Port Mapping to 80 (so users can access the API).
Click Create.
Now AWS knows how to run your API! 
Step 3: Create a Service
A Service ensures that your API keeps running all the time.
Go to Clusters → Services → Create Service.
Select your Task Definition (dotnet8-task).
Set Number of Tasks = 1 (this means only one instance runs).
Choose your VPC and subnets (AWS will suggest the right ones).
Enable Public IP (so we can access the API from the internet).
Click Create Service.
Now AWS will always keep your API running and restart it if needed!
Step 4: Configure Security Group (Allow Traffic to API)
By default, AWS blocks outside traffic, so we need to open port 80 to allow users to access the API.
Go to EC2 → Security Groups.
Find the group attached to your ECS Service.
Click Inbound Rules → Edit → Add a new rule:
Type: HTTP
Port: 80
Source: Anywhere (0.0.0.0/0) (or your specific IP for security).
Click Save Rules.
Now, the API can be accessed from anywhere! 
Step 5: Test Your API
Go to ECS → Clusters → Tasks, and find your running Task.
Copy the Public IP Address and open it in a browser or Postman.
If everything is correct, your API should respond!
Troubleshooting Common Issues
API is not reachable?
Make sure port 80 is open in Security Groups.
Double-check that your Docker image is correctly set up.
Ensure that you enabled Public IP when creating the Service.
Make sure your API is listening on port 80 inside the Docker container.
Watch the Full Tutorial on YouTube!
Want to see this setup in action? Watch the full step-by-step tutorial on YouTube:
How to Deploy .NET 8 API on AWS Fargate (7-Min Tutorial)
Have questions? Leave a comment on the video, and I’ll personally help you out!
If this article helped you, clap 
and share so more developers can learn how to deploy .NET 8 APIs on AWS Fargate easily!
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Gopi Krishnan VM