Choose a connection method based on your workflow:
| Method | Best for | Persistence | Setup |
|---|
| Web terminal | Quick commands, debugging | Session-based | None |
| SSH | Long-running processes, reliable access | Persistent | SSH client |
| JupyterLab | Data science, notebooks | Session-based | Template-dependent |
| VS Code/Cursor | Full development environment | Persistent | Extension |
Web terminal
Browser-based terminal for quick access. Not recommended for long-running processes (use SSH instead).
- Navigate to the Pods page.
- Expand your Pod and click Connect.
- Click Start if the terminal is stopped, then Open Web Terminal.
If Start doesn’t respond, refresh the page.
JupyterLab
Interactive web environment for code, files, and data analysis. Available on templates with JupyterLab pre-configured (e.g., “Runpod Pytorch”).
- Deploy a Pod with a JupyterLab-compatible template (all official Runpod PyTorch templates have JupyterLab pre-configured).
- Navigate to the Pods page and click Connect.
- Under HTTP Services, click the Jupyter Lab link (usually port 8888).
If the JupyterLab tab displays a blank page for more than a minute or two, try restarting the Pod and opening it again.
SSH
Secure, reliable command-line access for long-running processes and development.
See Connect with SSH for setup instructions.
VS Code / Cursor
Connect your local IDE directly to your Pod for a full development experience.
See Connect to VS Code or Cursor for setup instructions. 
