Amazon S3 adds large-scale annotations for data discovery by AI and analytics tools
Amazon S3 now supports annotations, a new metadata capability allowing custom JSON, XML, or YAML context (up to 1GB per object) to be attached directly to S3 objects at scale. This feature enables AI agents and analytics tools to discover and understand data without requiring separate metadata systems, enhancing data discovery and usability. Annotations are available in all AWS Regions and can be accessed via S3 Metadata or queried using tools like Amazon Athena and SageMaker.
- →Attach large-scale custom metadata to S3 objects with annotations
- →Enable natural language search for objects using annotations
- →Surface annotations in S3 Metadata for efficient querying
- →Annotations available globally and accessible via multiple tools
Features (2) ›
- Attach large-scale custom metadata to S3 objects with annotations
S3 Annotations allow attaching up to 1GB of custom metadata (JSON, XML, or YAML) to S3 objects, providing business context for AI agents and analytics tools to improve data discovery. This new capability complements existing metadata options by offering greater scale and flexibility.
- Enable natural language search for objects using annotations
Users can now search for objects using natural language based on their annotations via agents in Amazon SageMaker Unified Studio or IDEs with the S3 Tables MCP server. This provides an intuitive way for users to find data based on its context.
Enhancements (1) ›
- Surface annotations in S3 Metadata for efficient querying
Annotations can be optionally surfaced in S3 Metadata, which automatically captures object metadata into read-only Apache Iceberg tables. This enables fast querying of annotations using Amazon Athena and other compatible tools, simplifying data understanding and discovery.
Notes (1) ›
- Annotations available globally and accessible via multiple tools
S3 Annotations are available in all AWS Regions, including China Regions, and can be managed using AWS CLI, S3 APIs, or AWS SDKs. Annotation tables for querying are available in regions supporting S3 Metadata.
https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2026/06/amazon-s3-annotations-business-context