diff --git a/json-schema/platforms/custom-s3.json b/json-schema/platforms/custom-s3.json
index 25a89b7..632ae12 100644
--- a/json-schema/platforms/custom-s3.json
+++ b/json-schema/platforms/custom-s3.json
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@
     }
   },
   "then": {
-    "$comment": "No specific validation rules apply"
+    "bucket": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "region": {
+      "type": "string"
+    }
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/platforms/aws-s3.md b/platforms/aws-s3.md
index 93fde52..08751fd 100644
--- a/platforms/aws-s3.md
+++ b/platforms/aws-s3.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 This defines the Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3 interface.
 
-- `platform`: `https://{bucket}.s3.{region}.amazonaws.com`
-- `bucket`: The bucket name
-- `region`: One of the S3 regions (lowercase)
+- `platform`: `https://{bucket}.s3.{region}.amazonaws.com`,
+  which is the endpoint URL after replacing all variables in the URL.
+- `bucket`: The bucket name.
+- `region`: One of the S3 regions (lowercase).
+
+**Note:** If the `s3` authentication scheme (i.e. "Simple S3 authentication") is referred to through `auth:refs`, you should disable signing requests,
+e.g. using the AWS CLI parameter `--no-sign-request`.
diff --git a/platforms/custom-s3.md b/platforms/custom-s3.md
index c6c5ebd..3b15426 100644
--- a/platforms/custom-s3.md
+++ b/platforms/custom-s3.md
@@ -2,4 +2,40 @@
 
 This defines the S3 interface for providers other than AWS (e.g. minio-based).
 
-- `platform`: The API URL, must be the endpoint URL that can be used for the AWS CLI for example.
+- `platform`: The API URL (template), must be the endpoint URL that can be used for the AWS CLI for example, e.g. `https://{bucket}.example.com` or `http://example.com:9000`.
+- `bucket`: The bucket name, if applicable.
+- `region`: The region, if applicable.
+
+## Mapping to S3 tooling
+
+### GDAL (`/vsis3/`)
+
+GDAL documentation: <https://gdal.org/en/latest/user/virtual_file_systems.html#vsis3-aws-s3-files>
+
+- `platform`: Some options for S3 can be inferred from the given URL (template):
+  - `AWS_HTTPS` can be retrieved by parsing the scheme part of the URL. `https` = `ON`, `http` = `OFF`.
+  - `AWS_S3_ENDPOINT` is the authority part of the URL after replacing all variables in the URL,
+     e.g. `us-west.mycloud.com` without `https://` or `s3://` as prefix.
+  - `AWS_VIRTUAL_HOSTING` must be set to `FALSE` if there's no `{bucket}` placeholder in the URL template, otherwise `TRUE` (default value).
+- The `region` property corresponds to the `AWS_REGION` option.
+- The `requester_pays` property corresponds to the `AWS_REQUEST_PAYER` option. If `requester_pays` is `true`, set `AWS_REQUEST_PAYER` to `requester`.
+- If the `s3` authentication scheme (i.e. "Simple S3 authentication") is referred to through `auth:refs`,
+   you should set `AWS_NO_SIGN_REQUEST` to `NO`. Otherwise it should be `YES`.
+
+### AWS CLI
+
+AWS CLI documentation: <https://awscli.amazonaws.com/v2/documentation/api/latest/reference/index.html>
+
+- `platform` corresponds to `--endpoint-url` after replacing all variables in the URL.
+- `region` corresponds to `--region`.
+- If `s3` is **missing** from `auth:refs`, you should use `--no-sign-request`.
+
+### s3cmd
+
+s3cmd documentation: <https://s3tools.org/usage>
+
+- `platform` corresponds to `--host` / `--host-bucket` after replacing all variables in the URL (?).
+- `region` corresponds to `--region`.
+- `requester_pays` corresponds to `--requester-pays`.
+- If the `s3` authentication scheme (i.e. "Simple S3 authentication") is referred to through `auth:refs`,
+   you should provide an secret access key and an access key id through environment variables, a profile or the `s3cmd sign` command.