Directing Traffic: How AWS CloudFront Functions Can Redirect Users to Country-Specific URLs

A ticket turned article about the case of AWS CloudFront Functions and how to use it to direct users to relevant URLs

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Redirection gif

Have you ever landed on a website that wasn’t designed for your country, only to be met with language barriers or currency confusion? As the internet becomes more global, it’s important for businesses to consider how they can tailor their online presence to users from different countries. This is where AWS CloudFront functions come in handy, allowing businesses to redirect users to country-specific URLs depending on their location.

Imagine you run an online shop that ships worldwide. Customers from different countries visit your site, but they all see the same default page with prices listed in US dollars. This creates confusion for customers in different countries who may be accustomed to seeing prices in their local currency. It also limits your potential customer base as users may be deterred from making a purchase due to language barriers or other country-specific issues.

In the past, businesses may have had to create separate websites for different countries or rely on manual redirects based on IP addresses. This was not only time-consuming but also limited the client’s ability to deliver a personalised user experience.

Image: Time consuming

With AWS CloudFront functions, businesses can automatically redirect users to country-specific URLs based on their location. This means customers will see a website tailored to their needs, with prices listed in their local currency and language options that make sense for them. This not only improves the user experience but also increases the likelihood of a successful purchase.

The use of AWS Cloud also allows businesses to easily manage and scale their website to meet the demands of a global audience. The cloud offers reliable and fast content delivery with low latency and high transfer speeds, ensuring that users can access the website from anywhere in the world.

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Without country-specific URLs, businesses would face challenges that could potentially limit their growth and success. In addition to currency issues and language barriers, there may also be legal or regulatory requirements that need to be met in different countries. By redirecting users to country-specific URLs, businesses can ensure that they are meeting the needs of users in different locations and complying with relevant laws and regulations.

Two poor chaps with a language barrier

Furthermore, redirecting users to country-specific URLs can help businesses to target their advertising and marketing efforts more effectively. By tracking user location and behaviour, businesses can gain valuable insights into which markets are most profitable and adjust their strategies accordingly.

In today’s global economy, businesses need to consider how they can tailor their online presence to users from different countries. AWS CloudFront functions provide an easy and effective way to redirect users to country-specific URLs based on their location, improving the user experience and increasing the likelihood of a successful purchase. By embracing the cloud, businesses can scale their website to meet the demands of a global audience and target their marketing efforts more effectively.

Below is a a step-by-step guide to securely redirect users to country-specific URLs using AWS CloudFront functions:

1. Set up a CloudFront distribution for your website: To use CloudFront functions, you’ll need to set up a CloudFront distribution for your website. You can do this through the AWS Management Console or via the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI).
2. Create a CloudFront function: Once you’ve set up your CloudFront distribution, you can create a CloudFront function to handle the redirection logic. You can create functions using the AWS Management Console or by writing code in JavaScript and uploading it to CloudFront.

Here’s an example function that redirects users to a country-specific URL based on their location:

function handler(event) {
  const request = event.request;
  const headers = request.headers;
  const country = headers['cloudfront-viewer-country'];

  if (country === 'US') {
    return {
      statusCode: 302,
      statusDescription: 'Found',
      headers: {
        'location': 'https://www.example.com/us',
      },
    };
  } else if (country === 'GB') {
    return {
      statusCode: 302,
      statusDescription: 'Found',
      headers: {
        'location': 'https://www.example.com/uk',
      },
    };
  } else {
    return request;
  }
}

This function checks the cloudfront-viewer-country header in the incoming request to determine the user's country. If the user is from the US, they'll be redirected to the https://www.example.com/us URL. If they're from the UK, they'll be redirected to https://www.example.com/uk. If the user is from any other country, they'll be allowed to access the site as normal.

3. Deploy the function: Once you’ve created your function, you’ll need to deploy it to your CloudFront distribution. You can do this through the AWS Management Console or via the CLI.

4. Test the function: Once your function is deployed, you can test it by accessing your website from different countries and verifying that you’re redirected to the appropriate country-specific URL.

It’s important to note that when writing CloudFront functions, it’s essential to follow best practices for security and performance. AWS provides detailed documentation on how to write secure CloudFront functions, which you can find here:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudFront/latest/DeveloperGuide/writing-function-code.html

Reference:

• AWS CloudFront Functions Documentation: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudFront/latest/DeveloperGuide/cloudfront-functions.html
• Writing Secure CloudFront Functions: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudFront/latest/DeveloperGuide/writing-function-code.html#security-best-practices
• AWS CloudFront Functions: https://aws.amazon.com/cloudfront/functions/

I sincerely hope you find this material useful. Please do share if you have or know someone who could benefit from this.

Keep in mind that I wrote this post based on a recent problem I had at work and that it is based on my own learning experiences; others may have a different approach to fixing the problem.

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Regarding your educational endeavours, thank you for reading and best wishes!

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