This page provides an overview of the primary ways you can connect to your Pods to execute code and access your data.

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Web terminal connection

The web terminal offers a convenient, browser-based method to quickly connect to your Pod and run commands. However, it’s not recommended for long-running processes, such as training an LLM, as the connection might not be as stable or persistent as a direct SSH connection.

The availability of the web terminal depends on the Pod’s template.

To connect using the web terminal:

  1. Navigate to the Pods page in the Runpod console.
  2. Expand the desired Pod and select Connect.
  3. Select Open Web Terminal.

This will open a new tab in your browser with a web terminal session.

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JupyterLab connection

JupyterLab provides an interactive, web-based environment for running code, managing files, and performing data analysis. Many Runpod templates, especially those geared towards machine learning and data science, come with JupyterLab pre-configured and accessible via HTTP.

To connect to JupyterLab (if it’s available on your Pod):

  1. Deploy your Pod, ensuring that the template is configured to run JupyterLab. Official Runpod templates like “Runpod Pytorch” are usually compatible.
  2. Once the Pod is running, navigate to the Pods page in the Runpod console.
  3. Find the Pod you created and click the Connect button. If it’s grayed out, your Pod hasn’t finished starting up yet.
  4. In the window that opens, under HTTP Services, look for a link to Jupyter Lab (or a similarly named service on the configured HTTP port, often 8888). Click this link to open the JupyterLab workspace in your browser.
  5. Once in JupyterLab, you can create new notebooks (e.g., under Notebook, select Python 3 (ipykernel)), upload files, and run code interactively.

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SSH terminal connection

Connecting to a Pod via an SSH (Secure Shell) terminal provides a secure and reliable method for interacting with your instance. To establish an SSH connection, you’ll need an SSH client installed on your local machine. The exact command will vary slightly depending on whether you’re using the basic proxy connection or a direct connection to a public IP.

To learn more, see Connect to a Pod with SSH.

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Connect to VSCode or Cursor

For a more integrated development experience, you can connect directly to your Pod instance through Visual Studio Code (VSCode) or Cursor. This allows you to work within your Pod’s volume directory as if the files were stored on your local machine, leveraging VSCode’s or Cursor’s powerful editing and debugging features.

For a step-by-step guide, see Connect to a Pod with VSCode or Cursor.