# rpk cloud auth use

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/llms.txt). Component-specific: [cloud-data-platform-full.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform-full.txt)

---
title: rpk cloud auth use
latest-operator-version: v26.2.1
latest-console-tag: v3.10.0
latest-connect-version: 4.105.0
latest-redpanda-tag: v26.2.1
docname: rpk/rpk-cloud/rpk-cloud-auth-use
page-component-name: cloud-data-platform
page-version: master
page-component-version: master
page-component-title: Cloud
page-relative-src-path: rpk/rpk-cloud/rpk-cloud-auth-use.adoc
page-edit-url: https://github.com/redpanda-data/cloud-docs/edit/main/modules/reference/pages/rpk/rpk-cloud/rpk-cloud-auth-use.adoc
description: Select the <code>rpk</code> cloud authentication to use. This swaps the current cloud authentication to the specified cloud authentication.
page-git-created-date: "2024-07-25"
page-git-modified-date: "2026-08-11"
---

<!-- Source: https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/reference/rpk/rpk-cloud/rpk-cloud-auth-use.md -->

Select the `rpk` cloud authentication to use.

This swaps the current cloud authentication to the specified cloud authentication. If your current profile is a cloud profile, this unsets the current profile (since the authentication is now different). If your current profile is for a self hosted cluster, the profile is kept.

## [](#usage)Usage

```bash
rpk cloud auth use <name> [flags]
```

## [](#global-flags)Global flags

| Value | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| --config | string | Redpanda or rpk config file; default search paths are ~/.config/rpk/rpk.yaml, $PWD/redpanda.yaml, and /etc/redpanda/redpanda.yaml. |
| -X, --config-opt | stringArray | Override rpk configuration settings; -X help for detail or -X list for terser detail. |
| --ignore-profile | bool | Ignore rpk.yaml and redpanda.yaml; use default settings. |
| --profile | string | rpk profile to use. |
| -v, --verbose | bool | Enable verbose logging. |