# Connecting to Microsoft Azure Blob Storage

Connect [Publisher](https://docs.omics.ai/products/publisher) to [Azure Blob Storage](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/blobs/) to access and share your cloud-stored data. This connection requires specific Azure storage account credentials and container information.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, gather these Azure credentials:

* Azure storage account name
* Storage account access key
* Container name holding your data

## Configuration Process

### Initial Setup

Access the Data Sources page through Publisher's navigation sidebar and select "Connect Data Source". Choose "Microsoft Azure Blob Storage Object Store" from the available connectors.

### Storage Account Configuration

1. Obtain your [Azure storage account](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-account-overview?toc=%2Fazure%2Fstorage%2Fblobs%2Ftoc.json\&bc=%2Fazure%2Fstorage%2Fblobs%2Fbreadcrumb%2Ftoc.json) information:
   * Navigate to your Azure storage account
   * Under Settings, locate Access Keys
   * Copy the first storage access key using the copy icon
2. Enter your credentials:
   * Storage account name
   * Access key
   * Select your target container

{% hint style="info" %}
For detailed instructions about [Azure storage account access keys](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/storage-account-keys-manage?tabs=azure-portal), refer to Azure documentation.
{% endhint %}

### Finalizing Setup

Provide a descriptive name for your data source and complete the connection. After successful connection, you can optionally create and share a collection.