# Connecting to endpoints
<a name="endpoints-connecting"></a>

When you have your endpoint, either cluster or instance, you can connect to it using the `mongo` shell or a connection string.

## Connecting using the mongo shell
<a name="endpoints-connecting-mongo"></a>

Use the following structure to construct the string that you need to connect to your cluster or instance using the `mongo` shell:

```
mongo \
    --ssl \
    --host Endpoint:Port \
    --sslCAFile global-bundle.pem \
    --username UserName \
    --password Password
```

**`mongo` shell examples**  
Connect to a cluster:

```
mongo \
    --ssl \
    --host sample-cluster.corcjozrlsfc.us-east-1.docdb.amazonaws.com:27017 \
    --sslCAFile global-bundle.pem \
    --username UserName \
    --password Password
```

Connect to an instance:

```
mongo \
    --ssl \
    --host sample-cluster-instance.corcjozrlsfc.us-east-1.docdb.amazonaws.com:27017 \
    --sslCAFile global-bundle.pem \
    --username UserName \
    --password Password
```

## Connecting using a connection string
<a name="endpoints-connecting-mongodb"></a>

Use the following structure to construct the connection string that you need to connect to your cluster or instance.

```
mongodb://UserName:Password@endpoint:port?replicaSet=rs0&ssl_ca_certs=global-bundle.pem 
```

**Connection string examples**  
Connect to a cluster:

```
mongodb://UserName:Password@sample-cluster.cluster-corlsfccjozr.us-east-1.docdb.amazonaws.com:27017?replicaSet=rs0&ssl_ca_certs=global-bundle.pem 
```

Connect to an instance:

```
mongodb://UserName:Password@sample-cluster-instance.cluster-corlsfccjozr.us-east-1.docdb.amazonaws.com:27017?replicaSet=rs0&ssl_ca_certs=global-bundle.pem 
```