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

# Configuring conda

If you are familiar with conda and want to use it to install packages, you can configure conda to search a specific set of channels for packages by creating a `.condarc` file in the root directory of your local machine.

<Warning>
  If your organization has configured conda at the *system level* to limit platform users’ access to approved channels and packages only, *this will override your user-level configuration file*! If you are unsure if your organization has a system-level `.condarc` file, speak with your administrator.
</Warning>

The `.condarc` file is a configuration file that tells conda where to look for packages. Here is an example of what your `.condarc` file might look like:

```
channels:
  - defaults
default_channels:
  - <CHANNEL_NAME>
  - https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main
```

The channels you specify can be *public* or *private*. Private channels require users to authenticate via `anaconda-enterprise-cli` before they can access packages from them. For more information about channel sharing, see [sharing channels](./channels#sharing-channels).

Conda searches for requested packages in the channel listed at the top of the `channels:` list first. If that channel contains the requested package, it is downloaded from that channel.

If the requested package is not located in that channel, conda will search for the package in the next entry of the `channels:` list.

When conda reaches the `defaults` entry of the `channels:` list, it searches the channels listed under the `default_channels:` list, in the same descending order.

In this example, conda will look for a requested package in your Workbench channel first, then will look in [https://repo.anaconda.cloud/repo/main](https://repo.anaconda.cloud/repo/main).

For more information regarding the `.condarc` file, see the official [conda documentation](https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/configuration/use-condarc.html).