> ## 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.

# Cloud Quickstart

> Connect a database and take your first encrypted backup in DBDock Cloud in under five minutes — no installation, no infrastructure.

This guide takes you from zero to your first backup in the [DBDock Cloud](https://dbdock.xyz) dashboard. No installation required.

<Note>
  Prefer the terminal? Follow the [CLI Quickstart](/get-started/quickstart) instead — or do both and [link them with Cloud Sync](/cloud-sync/overview).
</Note>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create your account">
    Go to [dbdock.xyz](https://dbdock.xyz) and sign in. DBDock uses secure OAuth sign-in — there's no password to manage.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a connection">
    Open **Connections → New connection** and enter your database details. DBDock supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, CockroachDB, Redshift, TimescaleDB, MongoDB, and Redis.

    Use **Test connection** to confirm DBDock can reach the database before saving. Credentials are encrypted at rest — see [Cloud security](/security/cloud).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose where backups go">
    Every account includes **1 GB of DBDock managed storage, free** — nothing to configure. Prefer your own bucket? Add AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, or Cloudinary under **Storage**. See [Storage](/cloud/storage).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run your first backup">
    Open **Backups → New backup**, pick your connection, and start it. You'll see live progress, and the finished backup appears in the list with its size and duration.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Automate it (optional)">
    Open **Schedules** and create a cron schedule — for example, every night at 2 AM. DBDock runs it for you and keeps a full run history. Scheduling is available on paid plans; see [Billing](/cloud/billing).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Connections" icon="plug" href="/cloud/connections">
    Manage databases, test reachability, and track size over time.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Backups & restore" icon="shield-check" href="/cloud/backups">
    Restore, retry, download, and set retention.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Alerts" icon="bell" href="/alerts/overview">
    Get notified on success or failure via email, Slack, or webhooks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Link the CLI" icon="cloud-arrow-up" href="/cloud-sync/overview">
    Automate from the terminal, monitor from the dashboard.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>