> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dbdock.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connections

> Add and manage database connections in DBDock Cloud — nine supported engines, connection testing, encrypted credentials, and database size tracking.

A **connection** is a database DBDock talks to. Everything else — backups, schedules, migrations, alerts — builds on a connection.

## Supported databases

DBDock Cloud connects to nine database types:

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="PostgreSQL" icon="database" />

  <Card title="MySQL" icon="database" />

  <Card title="MariaDB" icon="database" />

  <Card title="SQL Server" icon="server" />

  <Card title="CockroachDB" icon="database" />

  <Card title="Redshift" icon="database" />

  <Card title="TimescaleDB" icon="clock" />

  <Card title="MongoDB" icon="leaf" />

  <Card title="Redis" icon="bolt" />
</CardGroup>

## Add a connection

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Connections → New connection">
    Give it a recognizable name — this is how it appears across backups, schedules, and alerts.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter connection details">
    Provide host, port, database name, and credentials. For databases that require TLS, enable SSL. DBDock encrypts stored credentials at rest.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test the connection">
    Use **Test connection** to confirm DBDock can reach the database before saving. This catches firewall, credential, and SSL issues early.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  DBDock connects to your database over the network, so it must be reachable from DBDock Cloud. If your database is only accessible from a private network, allowlist DBDock's egress or use the [CLI](/cli/overview), which runs inside your own environment.
</Warning>

## Database size tracking

DBDock periodically measures each connected database's size and shows the trend on your dashboard and in [Analytics](/cloud/overview). This is metadata only — DBDock reads size, never your table contents, outside of an explicit backup or migration you start.

## Plan limits

The number of connections you can add depends on your plan. See [Billing](/cloud/billing) for current limits, or the [pricing page](https://dbdock.xyz/pricing) for the authoritative numbers.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Take a backup" icon="shield-check" href="/cloud/backups">
    Once a connection exists, back it up.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Security" icon="lock" href="/security/cloud">
    How credentials are stored and isolated.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>