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

# Azure Blob Storage

> Provides access to Azure Blob Storage.

Connect Alumio to an Azure Blob Storage container and use it like a filesystem: read files from it and write files to it. Use this to exchange files with Azure, for example to pick up incoming feeds or to drop exports into a container that another system reads. The container must already exist in Azure before you connect to it.

## Fields

### Azure Blob container

Required. The name of the container Alumio reads from and writes to. The container must already exist in your storage account. You can use an environment variable here.

### Authentication

Required. How Alumio signs in to your storage account. Choose **Connection string** to authenticate with a single connection string (this supports both a SAS token and an access key), or **Shared key** to enter the account details separately. The default is **Connection string**.

### Connection string

Required when Authentication is set to Connection string. The full connection string from your storage account. A SAS-based string can be scoped to limited permissions and an expiry date, while an access-key string grants full access. You can use an environment variable here.

### Azure Blob Storage URL

Required when Authentication is set to Shared key. The web address of your storage account, for example `https://companyname.blob.core.windows.net`. You can use an environment variable here.

### Azure account name

Required when Authentication is set to Shared key. The name of the storage account you are connecting to. You can use an environment variable here.

### Azure shared key

Required when Authentication is set to Shared key. The secret access key for the storage account. Keep this confidential. You can use an environment variable here.

### Logger

Optional. Selects how file activity on this connection is recorded, so you can trace which files were read or written. See [filesystem loggers](/references/filesystem-logger) for the options.

## Sample data

A connection to a container named `product-images` using a connection string.

```json theme={null}
{
    "authType": "connectionString",
    "container": "product-images",
    "connectionString": "DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=acmestorage;AccountKey=base64secret==;EndpointSuffix=core.windows.net"
}
```

The same connection using a shared key instead:

```json theme={null}
{
    "authType": "sharedKey",
    "container": "product-images",
    "uri": "https://acmestorage.blob.core.windows.net",
    "accountName": "acmestorage",
    "accountKey": "base64secret=="
}
```