--- title: Set up your IBM Cloud account description: Setup instructions for IBM Quantum on IBM Cloud to submit Qiskit SDK and IBM Quantum Compute Service workloads source: https://quantum.cloud.ibm.com/docs/en/ibm-quantum-platform/cloud-setup --- # Set up your IBM Cloud account *If you were emailed an invitation to join an account, jump to the steps in [Set up your IBM Cloud account - invited users](#invited-users).* You can run workloads on IBM® quantum processing units (QPUs) by setting up an account on IBM Cloud®. You will also need to [install and set up Qiskit and the IBM Quantum® Compute client](/docs/qiskit/install-qiskit#local). Your user account is associated with one or more [instances](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/instances) identified by *Cloud Resource Names* (CRNs) that give access to IBM Quantum Compute Service. Additionally, a unique API token (also called a key) is assigned to each account, allowing for IBM Quantum access from Qiskit. For instructions to choose a specific instance, see [Connect to an instance](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/instances#connect-instance). ## Set up to use IBM Cloud ### Before you begin 1. If you do not already have one, set up an [IBM Cloud account](/registration). > **Note** > > You can be part of multiple IBM Cloud accounts. You can access any of your IBM Cloud accounts at any time from the account switcher in the header of the [IBM Quantum Platform]() interface. 2. Log in to [IBM Quantum Platform]() with an IBMid or Google account. If you don't have one, you are guided through creating one. (These login credentials are not your IBM Cloud account credentials.) 3. Make sure that the correct account and region are selected in the account switcher in the header, as shown in the following image. The region controls where your jobs are run and where the job data is kept. You can access either region by using the same API key, but you can only see and access the instances that were created in the region that you're logged in to. ![The IBM Quantum Platform header is shown. The account switcher is to the right of the search bar. The region switcher is to the right of the account switcher.](https://quantum.cloud.ibm.com/docs/images/guides/cloud-setup/IQP-Header.avif "IBM Quantum Platform header") ### 1. Create an instance You can create an instance from the IBM Quantum Platform [Instances](/instances) page. See [Create an instance](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/instances#add-instance) for detailed instructions. ### 2. Optional: Save your access credentials If you are using a trusted Python environment, such as a personal laptop, it is recommended that you use the `save_account()` method to [save your credentials locally](/docs/ibm-quantum-compute/save-credentials). ### 3. Connect Qiskit with your service instance - [Initialize the service](/docs/ibm-quantum-compute/initialize-account) in a **trusted Python environment** - [Initialize the service in an **untrusted environment**](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/cloud-setup-untrusted) (such as a public computer) > **Notes** > > - Follow [these instructions](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/cloud-setup-rest-api) if you want to connect by using the REST API instead of using Qiskit. > - If necessary, use [this information](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/quickstart-steps-org#firewall) to configure your firewall to enable access to the IBM Quantum API endpoints. ## Invited users *If you do not have an invitation from an administrator to join an account that an administrator set up, contact your administrator. If you need to set up your own account, follow the steps in [Set up your IBM Cloud account](#cloud).* You can run workloads on IBM® QPUs by setting up an account on IBM Cloud®. You will also need to [install and set up Qiskit and IBM Quantum® Compute](/docs/qiskit/install-qiskit#local). Your user account is associated with one or more [instances](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/instances), identified by *Cloud Resource Names* (CRNs) that give access to IBM Quantum services. Additionally, a unique API token (also called a key) is assigned to each account, allowing for IBM Quantum access from Qiskit. For instructions to choose a specific instance, see [Connect to an instance](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/instances#connect-instance). > **Note** > > The [IBM Quantum Platform dashboard]() and the [Instances page](/instances) list the instances that you can access. ### Before you begin 1. Accept the email invitation. 2. Log in with an IBMid or Google account. Note that the profile that you use to log in to IBM Cloud or IBM Quantum Platform in this step is not your IBM Cloud account. After logging in, confirm your information and accept the invitation to join the account. 3. Navigate back to [IBM Quantum Platform](). 4. Make sure that the correct account and region are selected in the account switcher in the header, as shown in the following image. - Choose the account that was invited in the email. - The region controls where your jobs are run and where the job data is kept. You can access either region by using the same API key, but you can only see and access the instances that were created in the region that you're logged in to. ![The IBM Quantum Platform header is shown. The account switcher is to the right of the search bar. The region switcher is to the right of the account switcher.](https://quantum.cloud.ibm.com/docs/images/guides/cloud-setup/IQP-Header.avif "IBM Quantum Platform header") ### 1. Optional: Save your access credentials If you are using a trusted Python environment, such as a personal laptop, it is recommended that you use the `save_account()` method to [save your credentials locally](/docs/ibm-quantum-compute/save-credentials). ### 2. Connect Qiskit with your service instance - [Initialize the service](/docs/ibm-quantum-compute/initialize-account) in a **trusted Python environment** - [Initialize the service in an **untrusted environment**](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/cloud-setup-untrusted) (such as a public computer) > **Notes** > > - Follow [these instructions](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/cloud-setup-rest-api) if you want to connect by using the REST API instead of using Qiskit. > - If necessary, use [this information](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/quickstart-steps-org#firewall) to configure your firewall to enable access to the IBM Quantum API endpoints. ## Next steps > **Recommendations** > > - [Overview of available plans](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/plans-overview). > - [Configure the Qiskit SDK locally](/docs/qiskit/configure-qiskit-local). > - [View your available QPUs](/docs/ibm-quantum-compute/qpu-information#available). > - Follow the steps in the [Run your first circuit on hardware](/docs/ibm-quantum-compute/hello-world) guide to write and run a quantum program. > - [Set up to use IBM Quantum Platform with REST API](/docs/ibm-quantum-platform/cloud-setup-rest-api). > - Try a [tutorial](/docs/tutorials).