--- title: Set up InfluxDB 3 Cloud description: Request access to InfluxDB 3 Cloud, connect the influxdb3 CLI to your managed cluster, and set up a database and token. url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/cloud/get-started/setup/ estimated_tokens: 1497 product: InfluxDB 3 Cloud version: cloud publisher: InfluxData canonical: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/cloud/get-started/setup/ date: '2026-06-25T02:12:58-04:00' lastmod: '2026-06-25T02:12:58-04:00' --- InfluxDB 3 Cloud is the fully managed, cloud-hosted version of[InfluxDB 3 Enterprise](/influxdb3/enterprise/). InfluxData provisions and operates the InfluxDB 3 servers for you, so you don’t install, run, or scale servers yourself. To get started, get your instance host from InfluxData, configure the`influxdb3` CLI, log in, and then create a database. * [Get your instance](#get-your-instance) * [Configure the influxdb3 CLI](#configure-the-influxdb3-cli) * [Connect to your instance](#connect-to-your-instance) * [Log in to your instance](#log-in-to-your-instance) * [Create a database](#create-a-database) * [Create a token for applications](#create-a-token-for-applications) ## Get your instance During early access, InfluxData provisions InfluxDB 3 Cloud instances for you. You can’t sign up for the service yourself. To request early access, see the[InfluxDB 3 Cloud product page](https://www.influxdata.com/products/influxdb3-cloud/). After your instance is provisioned, InfluxData provides your instance**host URL**, which is the endpoint you connect to. You authenticate with your InfluxData account in the following steps. You don’t copy or store a token for interactive use. ## Configure the influxdb3 CLI The [`influxdb3` CLI](/influxdb3/cloud/reference/cli/influxdb3/) lets you administer your instance and write and query data from the command line. Because InfluxDB 3 Cloud is fully managed, you don’t install or run anything for the service itself. You point the `influxdb3` CLI at your hosted instance and log in with your InfluxData account. ### Connect to your instance Set the `INFLUXDB3_HOST_URL` environment variable for the `influxdb3` CLI to connect to your instance host URL: #### macOS and Linux #### ```sh export INFLUXDB3_HOST_URL=https://instance-id.enterprise.influxdb.io ``` ```powershell $env:INFLUXDB3_HOST_URL = "https://instance-id.enterprise.influxdb.io" ``` ``` set INFLUXDB3_HOST_URL=https://instance-id.enterprise.influxdb.io # Make sure to include a space character at the end of this command. ``` ### Log in to your instance Log in to your instance with the OAuth device-code flow. InfluxDB 3 Cloud authenticates you with your InfluxData account, so you don’t need a token to use the CLI interactively. Run the following command and follow the printed instructions: ```sh influxdb3 auth login --oauth ``` The output is a URL and a one-time user code. Open the URL in a browser, enter the code, and approve the request. After you approve, the CLI saves your credentials to`~/.influxdb3/credentials.json` and uses them automatically for later commands, so you don’t need to pass a token. > [!Note] > Don’t set the `INFLUXDB3_AUTH_TOKEN` environment variable for interactive use. > If it’s set, the `influxdb3` CLI uses that token instead of your logged-in > session. Run `influxdb3 auth login --oauth` again when your session expires. List your databases to verify that you’re authenticated: ```sh influxdb3 show databases ``` A successful response confirms that your host URL and login are configured correctly. ## Create a database Use the[`influxdb3 create database` command](/influxdb3/cloud/reference/cli/influxdb3/)to create a database. You can use an existing database or create a new one specifically for this getting started tutorial.*Examples in this tutorial assume a database named `get-started`.* Provide the following: * The database name * *Optional:* a database[retention period](/influxdb3/cloud/admin/databases/#retention-periods)as a duration value. If no retention period is specified, the default is infinite. ```sh influxdb3 create database \ --retention-period 1y \ get-started ``` Replace the following: * `get-started`: the name of the database to create * `1y`: the database retention period as a duration > [!Note] > A newly created database can take a few seconds to appear in`influxdb3 show databases`. ## Create a token for applications Logging in authenticates you for interactive use with the `influxdb3` CLI. For applications and automated clients, create a **database token** scoped to only the databases and permissions it needs. Creating tokens requires admin privileges. If your user doesn’t have admin access, ask an administrator to create a token for you. Use the[`influxdb3 create token` command](/influxdb3/cloud/reference/cli/influxdb3/)with the `--permission` option to create a token with read and write access to your database. Provide the following: * `--permission`: A resource permission string in the format`db:DATABASE_NAME:read,write` * `--name`: A unique name for the token ```sh influxdb3 create token \ --permission "db:get-started:read,write" \ --name "Read/write token for get-started database" ``` Replace `get-started`with the name of the database to grant the token access to. The command returns the token string. #### Store your token securely InfluxDB displays the token string only when you create it. Store your token securely—you cannot retrieve it from the database later. Applications can authenticate with the token by setting the`INFLUXDB3_AUTH_TOKEN` environment variable or passing the `--token` option. #### Authentication in InfluxDB 3 Cloud For interactive use, you authenticate as a user with`influxdb3 auth login --oauth` — no token required. For applications, create and manage tokens with the `influxdb3` CLI: * **Database tokens**: Grant scoped read and/or write access to specific databases. * **Admin tokens**: Grant full administrative access. Create named admin tokens with `influxdb3 create token --admin --name "NAME"`. For more information, see[Manage tokens](/influxdb3/cloud/admin/tokens/). [Get started](/influxdb3/cloud/get-started/)[Write data](/influxdb3/cloud/get-started/write/) #### Related * [Manage databases](/influxdb3/cloud/admin/databases/) * [Manage tokens](/influxdb3/cloud/admin/tokens/) * [influxdb3 CLI](/influxdb3/cloud/reference/cli/influxdb3/)