> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.visual-layer.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deploying Visual Layer

> Choose your deployment option and review requirements for using Visual Layer.

This page covers Visual Layer's deployment options and the prerequisites for getting started.

## Deployment Options

Visual Layer supports multiple deployment methods, including public cloud, private cloud, and airgapped on-premises environments.

### Cloud

Visual Layer Cloud is a fully managed platform hosted on AWS Cloud Services. Cloud deployment offers:

* Secure multi-tenant infrastructure
* Fast onboarding with trial-to-production scaling
* Automatic updates with latest features and enhancements
* Cost-efficient pricing

This option is ideal for teams looking to get started quickly and for organizations with strict governance requirements, such as data residency and advanced security policies.

### On-Premises

Visual Layer's self-managed deployment runs entirely on your own infrastructure, including fully airgapped environments. It is ideal for teams that require full control over their data and environments.

For complete setup instructions, hardware specifications, and system requirements, see [Self-Hosting](/docs/self-hosting/System_requirements).

## Cloud Prerequisites

The following requirements apply to Visual Layer Cloud deployments.

### Account Access

To use Visual Layer, you need a valid account. Visual Layer supports the following authentication methods:

* **Google Account**: Sign in using your existing Google credentials
* **GitHub Account**: Sign in using your existing GitHub credentials

If you don't have an account yet, visit the [Login page](https://app.visual-layer.com/login) to get started. You can sign up using either Google or GitHub single sign-on (SSO).

### Browser Requirements

Visual Layer requires **Chrome browser** for all platform features. Use the latest version of Chrome for the best experience.

### Supported Data Formats

Visual Layer supports the following data types and upload methods for creating <Tooltip tip="A collection of images and associated metadata organized for analysis and labeling." href="/docs/introduction/key-concepts#core-platform-concepts">datasets</Tooltip>.

#### Data Sources

You can upload data to Visual Layer using any of these source types:

* **ZIP Files**: Compressed archives containing images, videos, or both
* **Files or Folders**: Direct upload from your local filesystem
* **Public Amazon S3**: Link to publicly accessible S3 buckets
* **Private Amazon S3**: Connect to private S3 buckets with proper authentication

<Tip>
  Need support for additional data sources (Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, etc.)? Contact [support@visual-layer.com](mailto:support@visual-layer.com).
</Tip>

#### Supported File Types

Visual Layer processes the following file formats:

**Images:** .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .tif, .tiff, .heic, .heif, .bmp, .webp, .jp2, .jfif, .pdf, .qaf

**Videos:** .mp4, .avi, .dav, .m4v, .mov, .mkv, .wmv, .flv, .webm, .mpg, .mpeg, .3gp

### Upload Limits

Dataset upload limits depend on your current subscription plan:

* **Free Trial**: Limited upload capacity for evaluation purposes
* **Team Plans**: Increased upload capacity and dataset limits
* **Enterprise Plans**: Custom limits based on organizational needs

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card icon="graduation-cap" href="/docs/quick-start/tutorial-create-dataset" title="Create a Dataset">
    Upload and index your first visual dataset
  </Card>

  <Card icon="graduation-cap" href="/docs/quick-start/tutorial-explore-dataset" title="Explore a Dataset">
    Find, refine, and curate content from your data
  </Card>

  <Card icon="book-a" href="/docs/introduction/key-concepts" title="Key Concepts">
    Learn core terminology and platform concepts
  </Card>

  <Card icon="blocks" href="/docs/self-hosting/System_requirements" title="Self-Hosting Setup">
    Hardware specifications for self-hosted deployment
  </Card>
</CardGroup>