# Quickstart guide

{% hint style="warning" %}
This product is in Beta stage and breaking changes may be released. The documentation here matches the release version listed in the table of contents. 
{% endhint %}

## Step 1: Install the SonarQube CLI

Depending on your operating system, run these commands in your terminal:

macOS and Linux:

```shell
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SonarSource/sonarqube-cli/refs/heads/master/user-scripts/install.sh | bash
```

Windows (from PowerShell):

```powershell
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SonarSource/sonarqube-cli/refs/heads/master/user-scripts/install.ps1 | iex
```

## Step 2: Authenticate with the server

If you're connecting to SonarQube Cloud in the EU region (`https://sonarcloud.io` is the default value):

```bash
sonar auth login
```

If you're connecting to SonarQube Cloud in the [US region](/sonarqube-cloud/getting-started/getting-started-in-us-region.md), you must pass the US server URL:

```bash
sonar auth login --server https://sonarqube.us
```

If you're connecting to SonarQube Server, you must define your server URL:

```bash
sonar auth login --server <YourSonarQubeURL>
```

### Options

#### Use your own token

The code samples above include the interactive authentication, where your browser will automatically open and you'll be prompted to create a new user token. To use your own token, append `--with-token <YourSonarQubeUserToken>` to your command. Both the URL and a user token are required for authentication.

{% hint style="warning" %}
*User tokens* are required when authenticating your SonarQube CLI with SonarQube Cloud or SonarQube Server. Note that the CLI will not function properly if *project tokens*, *global tokens*, or *scoped organization tokens* are used during the setup process.
{% endhint %}

#### Define your organization

SonarQube Cloud authentication requires an organization. If you don't specify one, the CLI will try to choose one automatically. Add `-o <YourSonarQubeCloudOrganization>` as an option to define a specific organization. Your SonarQube Cloud **Organization Key** can be found by going to your SonarQube Cloud **Account** > **Organizations** page: [`https://sonarcloud.io/account/organizations`](https://sonarcloud.io/account/organizations).

This option will be ignored when authenticating with SonarQube Server.

#### Verify your connection

```bash
sonar auth status
```

## Step 3: Review the SonarQube CLI commands

For a full list of available commands, see the [Commands](/sonarqube-cli/using/commands.md) page.


---

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