> ## 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.
# Connecting to a cloud workstation
This page helps you connect to your personal cloud workstation. If you do not have a workstation yet, see [Setting up a cloud workstation](/docs/platform/guides/develop/setting-up-a-cloud-workstation), or ask your platform administrator for help.
## Connecting with VS Code
Workstations integrate with Visual Studio Code through an extension. If you do not have VS Code installed, [download it](https://code.visualstudio.com/).
On the **Workstations** page, select your workstation, open the **Actions** menu, and select *VS Code Desktop*:
The **Connect to your cloud workstation** view opens and walks you through these steps:
1. In VS Code, open the Extensions view, search for the Outerbounds extension, and install it. You can also find it in the [VS Code Marketplace](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Outerbounds.vscode-outerbounds).
2. Copy your personal authentication token from the platform, and paste it into the extension's authentication prompt.
3. Open the extension from the activity bar. Your available workstations appear in the list; refresh the list if they do not show up right away.
4. Choose a workstation and click **Connect**.
5. A new window opens and connects to your workstation. The first connection can take a minute while the workstation starts.
After the first connection, open the extension in VS Code and click **Connect** to reconnect.
The workstation window is connected to your cloud instance, independent of your laptop. Check the lower-left corner of the VS Code window, which displays a message like `workstation in ws-834abbc`, to confirm the connection.
## Using a workstation in the browser
On the **Workstations** page, select your running workstation, open the **Actions** menu, and select *Web UI*. The web UI is the same VS Code interface, running in your browser, connected to the same workstation backend, so you can work without installing anything.
