---
metadata:
  - name: generator
    content: Diplodoc Platform v5.52.0
alternate:
  - https://ydb.tech/docs/en/reference/ydb-cli/profile/use.md?version=v25.3
  - https://ydb.tech/docs/ru/reference/ydb-cli/profile/use.md?version=v25.3
  - href: en/reference/ydb-cli/profile/use.md
    type: text/markdown
    title: Markdown version
  - href: ../../../llms.txt
    type: text/markdown
    title: llms.txt
sourcePath: en/core/reference/ydb-cli/profile/use.md
---
> **Documentation Index:** Fetch the complete configuration index at https://ydb.tech/docs/en/llms.txt

<!-- source: en/reference/ydb-cli/profile/_includes/use.md -->
# Using a profile

## Connection based on a selected profile {#explicit}

A profile can be applied when running a YDB CLI command with the `--profile` or the `-p` option:

```bash
ydb -p <profile_name> <command and command options>
```

For example:

```bash
ydb -p mydb1 scheme ls -l
```

In this case, all DB connection parameters are taken from the profile. At the same time, if the authentication parameters are not specified in the profile, the YDB CLI will try to define them based on environment variables, as described in [Connecting to and authenticating with a database — Environment variable](https://ydb.tech/docs/en/reference/ydb-cli/connect.md?version=v25.3#env).

## Connection based on a selected profile and specified command line parameters {#explicit-and-pars}

The `--profile` (`-p`) option doesn't need to be the only connection setting specified on the command line. For example:

```bash
ydb -p mydb1 -d /local2 scheme ls -l
```

```bash
ydb -p mydb1 --user alex scheme ls -l
```

In this case, the connection parameters specified on the command line have priority over those stored in the profile. This format lets you reuse profiles to connect to different databases or under different accounts. In addition, specifying the authentication parameter on the command line (such as `--user alex` in the example above) disables environment variable checks regardless of their presence in the profile.

## Connection based on an activated profile {#implicit}

If the `--profile` (`-p`) option is not specified on the command line, the YDB CLI will attempt to take all the connection parameters that it couldn't otherwise determine (from the command-line options or environment variables, as described in [Connecting to and authenticating with a database](https://ydb.tech/docs/en/reference/ydb-cli/connect.md?version=v25.3)) from the currently activated profile.

Implicit use of the activated profile may cause errors, so we recommend that you read the [Activated profile](https://ydb.tech/docs/en/reference/ydb-cli/profile/activate.md?version=v25.3) article before using this mode.
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