---
name: cli-ibmcloud_home
title: Working with multiple sessions with the IBM Cloud CLI
description: You can use the IBMCLOUD_HOME environment variable to work with multiple sessions at the same time in the IBM Cloud® CLI.
last-updated: 2025-05-21
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cli?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# Working with multiple sessions with the IBM Cloud CLI
{: #ibmcloud-home}

You can use the IBMCLOUD_HOME environment variable to work with multiple sessions at the same time in the IBM Cloud® CLI.
{: shortdesc}

With the IBMCLOUD_HOME environment variable, you can set a path for the session metadata. You can specify a different directory for each session, and that's helpful when you want to run multiple IBM Cloud CLI sessions simultaneously.

## Before you begin
{: #ibmcloud-home-prereq}

* Set up your [IBM Cloud® account](https://cloud.ibm.com/registration){: external}. For more information, see [Setting up your IBM Cloud account](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/account?topic=account-account-getting-started&format=markdown).
* [Install the IBM Cloud CLI](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cli?topic=cli-getting-started&format=markdown).

## Setting the IBMCLOUD_HOME environment variable
{: #ibmcloud-home-usage}

To run multiple IBM Cloud CLI sessions in parallel, use different environments per session. You need to set up a different configuration directory for each session.

For your first environment, enter the following command:

```bash
  export IBMCLOUD_HOME=/home/myuser/.ibmcloudenv1
  ibmcloud login
```
{: codeblock}

For your second environment, enter the following command:

```bash
export IBMCLOUD_HOME=/home/myuser/.ibmcloudenv2
ibmcloud login
```
{: codeblock}

For more information about environment variables for the IBM Cloud CLI, see [Tips and Tricks for Using the IBM Cloud CLI](https://www.ibm.com/think){: external} and [IBM Cloud CLI (ibmcloud) environment variables](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cli?topic=cli-ibmcloud_env_var&format=markdown).