--- 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: 1700 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) * [Install the influxdb3 CLI](#install-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. ### Install the influxdb3 CLI The `influxdb3` CLI is distributed in the InfluxDB 3 Enterprise binary. For InfluxDB 3 Cloud, you install the Enterprise binary to get the CLI—you don’t run the server. To install it on **Linux** or **macOS**, download and run the quick installer script: ```bash curl -O https://www.influxdata.com/d/install_influxdb3.sh \ && sh install_influxdb3.sh enterprise ``` > [!Note] > The installer also sets up a local InfluxDB 3 server. > For InfluxDB 3 Cloud, you only need the CLI, so you can skip the prompts > to start a server. For Windows binaries and other CLI installation options, see [Install the influxdb3 CLI for InfluxDB 3 Cloud](/influxdb3/cloud/install/). ### 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. > [!Important] > #### 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. > [!Note] > #### 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/)