---
name: support-create-case
title: Creating support cases in IBM Cloud
description: Learn how to create support cases for IBM Cloud issues related to access, billing, account, and technical support with an advanced or premium plan.
last-updated: 2026-06-30
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/support?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.

# Creating support cases in IBM Cloud
{: #open-case}

Learn how to create support cases for IBM Cloud issues related to access, billing, account, and technical support with an advanced or premium plan.
{: shortdesc}

If your account is deactivated or if you don't have access to your account, you can create a support case by completing the [Create an Account, Login or Billing Request](https://watson.service-now.com/x_ibmwc_open_case_app.do#!/create) form.
{: tip}

The types of available support depend on the support level of the account. Your support plan also determines the severity level that you can assign to support cases. For more information, see [Case severity and response time](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/support?topic=support-support-case-severity&format=markdown).

Users with a Lite or Trial account receive the same support as Basic support, which means that they can create support cases that are limited to nontechnical issues associated with access (IAM), billing and usage, account, and invoice or sales inquiries. Technical help for accounts with a no-cost support plan is provided by the [IBM Cloud Docs](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs){: external}, the IBM Cloud AI Assistant, and online communities such as the [IBM Cloud Community](https://community.ibm.com/community/user/my-community){: external} or [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/ibm-cloud?tab=Newest){: external}.

As a classic infrastructure user, you might be familiar with support tickets. Support tickets are now called support cases in IBM Cloud.

## Creating a support case
{: #creating-support-case}
{: ui}

By default, account users don't have access to create, update, search, or view cases. The account owner must provide users with access by assigning an Identity and Access Management (IAM) access policy. For more information, see [Managing access to support cases](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/support?topic=support-access-cases&format=markdown).

Complete the following steps to create a support case:

1. From the IBM Cloud console menu bar, click the **Help** icon ![Help icon](../icons/help.svg "Help") > **Support center**.
1. From the Contact support section, click **Create a case**.
1. Select the category for your issue.
1. Select the topic and the associated subtopic that is most closely related to your issue, and click **Next**.
1. Complete the required fields.

   Do not include personal information, sensitive data, or payment details in case responses. For example, don't include passwords, API keys, secrets, or credit card numbers.
   {: important}

1. Complete optional fields:
   * Add a specific resource or product for quicker triage and investigation.
   * Attach files to provide more details about the issue you're experiencing.
   * If you'd like a user in your account to be updated about the case, add them by using the watchlist. For more information, see [Updating your support case's watchlist](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/support?topic=support-managing-support-cases&format=markdown#contact-watchlist).
   * Select **Email me updates about this case** to receive support case notifications.
1. Click **Next**, review your case summary, and click **Submit case**.
1. After you receive email verification for the case, follow the instructions for further communication on the issue.

After your support case is created, you can follow its progress on the [Manage cases page](https://cloud.ibm.com/unifiedsupport/cases).

IBM support cases can also be opened in the cloud console as well as in the [IBM support portal](https://www.ibm.com/mysupport/s/){: external}. These cases can only be managed in the IBM support portal and access is controlled in the IBM support portal. For more information about access, see [Managing Your Support Account Access](https://www.ibm.com/mysupport/s/article/Managing-Your-Support-Account-Access?language=en_US){: external}.
{: note}

### Adding a resource to a support case
{: #adding-case-resource}
{: ui}

Users with a support plan that includes technical support assistance can add a specific resource or product to a case. Adding a cloud resource name (CRN) to a support case allows for a more efficient triage, investigation, and resolution.

To add a resource to a support case, use the following steps:

1. Create a technical case type by selecting a technical category for your issue.
2. Go to the **Add resource** field.
3. Click to display the choices, then select a resource name from the list.

You can also add a cloud resource name after the case is created or add the CRN within a comment. For more information, see [Updating support cases](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/support?topic=support-managing-support-cases&format=markdown#updating-case).

## Upgrading your support plan
{: #upgrade-support-plan}
{: ui}

If you have a Basic support plan, you can request an upgrade directly from the Support Center by creating a support case. The process uses a pre-filled case with the appropriate topic and subtopic to streamline your upgrade request. Upgrading to Advanced or Premium support provides benefits such as continuous access to technical support, faster response times for critical issues, and access to additional support resources.

To request an upgrade to your support plan, complete the following steps:

1. From the IBM Cloud console menu bar, click the **Help** icon ![Help icon](../icons/help.svg "Help") > **Support center**.
1. From the Contact support section, click **Create a case**.
1. On the Create case page, you'll see a message about upgrading your support plan. Click **Request an upgrade** to open a pre-filled upgrade request case.
1. In the **Subject** field, provide a brief description of your upgrade request. In the **Description** field, include details about your desired support plan.

   Do not include personal information, sensitive data, or payment details in your upgrade request. For example, don't include passwords, API keys, secrets, or credit card numbers.
   {: important}

1. Optionally, attach files with additional information, add users to the watchlist to keep them informed, or select **Email me updates about this case** to receive notifications.
1. Click **Next**, review your case summary, and click **Submit case**.

After you submit your upgrade request case, the IBM Cloud support team upgrades the support plan for you and let you know when the process is complete. The upgrade typically takes a few days to a week to complete. For more information about the different support plans and their features, see [Support plans](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/support?topic=support-support-plans&format=markdown).

Alternatively, you can upgrade your support plan by contacting an [IBM Cloud Sales](https://www.ibm.com/solutions/cloud?contactmodule){: external} representative.

   You can contact the IBM Cloud Sales team directly through the pop-up window.
   {: note}

## Creating a support case by using the API
{: #create-case-api}
{: api}

You can programmatically open a support case by calling the Case Management API as shown in the following sample requests. For more information about the API, see [Case Management](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/apis/case-management#createcase){: external}.

```curl
curl --location --request POST 'support-center.cloud.ibm.com/case-management/v1/cases' --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --header 'Content-Type: text/plain' --data-raw '{ "type": "technical",
  "subject": "Case subject",
  "description": "Case description",
  "severity":4,
   "offering": {
    "name": "Cloud Object Storage",
    "type": {
      "group": "crn_service_name",
      "key": "cloud-object-storage",
      "kind": "service",
      "id": "dff97f5c-bc5e-4455-b470-411c3edbe49c"
    }
  },
  "resources": [
    {
      "crn": "crn:v1:staging:public:cloud-object-storage:global:a/2dded3de4a4d4a098ebd0998be5cc845:723a59c4-9338-43fe-9dc4-e4a87cc78c8e::",
      "note": "Resource note"
    }
  ]
}'
```
{: codeblock}
{: curl}

```java
OfferingType offeringType = new OfferingType.Builder()
  .group(OfferingType.Group.CRN_SERVICE_NAME)
  .key("cloud-object-storage")
  .build();
Offering offeringPayload = new Offering.Builder()
  .name("Cloud Object Storage")
  .type(offeringType)
  .build();
CreateCaseOptions createCaseOptions = new CreateCaseOptions.Builder()
  .type("technical")
  .subject("Example technical case")
  .description("This is an example case description. This is where the problem would be described.")
  .offering(offeringPayload)
  .severity(4)
  .build();

Response<Case> response = service.createCase(createCaseOptions).execute();
Case xCase = response.getResult();

System.out.println(xCase);
```
{: codeblock}
{: java}

```javascript
const offeringType = {
  group: 'crn_service_name',
  key: 'cloud-object-storage',
};

const offeringPayload = {
  name: 'Cloud Object Storage',
  type: offeringType,
};

const params = {
  type: 'technical',
  subject: 'Example technical case',
  description: 'This is an example case description. This is where the problem would be described.',
  offering: offeringPayload,
  severity: 4,
};

caseManagementService.createCase(params)
  .then(res => {
    caseNumber = res.result.number
    console.log(JSON.stringify(res.result, null, 2));
  })
  .catch(err => {
    console.warn(err)
  });
```
{: codeblock}
{: javascript}

```python
offering_type = OfferingType(
  group='crn_service_name',
  key='cloud-object-storage'
)
offering_payload = Offering(
  name='Cloud Object Storage',
  type=offering_type
)

case = case_management_service.create_case(
  type='technical',
  subject='Example technical case',
  description='This is an example case description. This is where the problem would be described.',
  offering=offering_payload,
  severity=4,
).get_result()

print(json.dumps(case, indent=2))
```
{: codeblock}
{: python}

```go
offeringType, _ := caseManagementService.NewOfferingType(
  casemanagementv1.OfferingTypeGroupCRNServiceNameConst,
  "cloud-object-storage",
)
offeringPayload, _ := caseManagementService.NewOffering(
  "Cloud Object Storage",
  offeringType,
)

createCaseOptions := caseManagementService.NewCreateCaseOptions(
  "technical",
  "Example technical case",
  "This is an example case description. This is where the problem would be described.",
)
createCaseOptions.SetSeverity(4)
createCaseOptions.SetOffering(offeringPayload)

caseVar, response, err := caseManagementService.CreateCase(createCaseOptions)
if err != nil {
  panic(err)
}
b, _ := json.MarshalIndent(caseVar, "", "  ")
fmt.Println(string(b))
```
{: codeblock}
{: go}

### Adding a resource to a support case by using the API
{: #add-resource-api}
{: api}

You can programmatically add a resource to a support case by using the API as shown in the following sample request. For more information, see the [Case Management API reference](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/apis/case-management#createcase){: external}.

```curl
curl -X PUT '/case-management/v1/cases/{case_number}/resources' -H 'Authorization: TOKEN' -d '{
  "crn": "296878",
  "note": "This resource does not work"
}'
```
{: codeblock}
{: curl}

```java
AddResourceOptions addResourceOptions = new AddResourceOptions.Builder()
  .caseNumber(caseNumber)
  .crn(resourceCrn)
  .note("This resource is the service that is having the problem.")
  .build();

Response<Resource> response = service.addResource(addResourceOptions).execute();
Resource resource = response.getResult();

System.out.println(resource);
```
{: codeblock}
{: java}

```javascript
const params = {
  caseNumber: caseNumber,
  crn: resourceCrn,
  note: 'This resource is the service that is having the problem.',
};

caseManagementService.addResource(params)
  .then(res => {
    console.log(JSON.stringify(res.result, null, 2));
  })
  .catch(err => {
    console.warn(err)
  });
```
{: codeblock}
{: javascript}

```python
resource = case_management_service.add_resource(
  case_number=case_number,
  crn=resource_crn,
  note='This resource is the service that is having the problem.',
).get_result()

print(json.dumps(resource, indent=2))
```
{: codeblock}
{: python}

```go
addResourceOptions := caseManagementService.NewAddResourceOptions(
  caseNumber,
)
addResourceOptions.SetCRN(resourceCRN)
addResourceOptions.SetNote("This resource is the service that is having the problem.")

resource, response, err := caseManagementService.AddResource(addResourceOptions)
if err != nil {
  panic(err)
}
b, _ := json.MarshalIndent(resource, "", "  ")
fmt.Println(string(b))
```
{: codeblock}
{: go}

## Supported file types for cases
{: #supported-file-types}

When you create a case, you can attach a file. The following file types are supported:

```text
7z, ace, ams, arm, asp, bash, history, bkp, big, bmp, bz2, ca, ca-bundle, ca-crt, cabundle, cap, cer, cert, cfg, cnf, crt, csr, csv, dat, dbs, debug, dib, dmesg, dmp, doc, docx, dotx, dump, email, eml, emz, env, eps, error, evt, evtx, fragment, gif, gz, gz_aa, gz_ab, gz_ac, har, hosts, htaccess, html, iaf, ics, id, img, info, jpb, jpe, jpeg, jpg, key, lic, log, logsm lon02, lst, lzh, mai, md5, mib, mjpg, msg, mso, odp, ods, odt, oft, openssh, out, ovf, ovpn, p7b, p7s, pages, pcap, pcf, pcx, pdb, pem, pfx, pic, pix, png, ppk, ppt, pptx, psd, psp, pspimage, pub_key, rar, raw, rdp, req, rpt, rtf, sjc03-raid-2, sjc03-raid-log-1, snag, sql, ssh, stats, sth, svg, sxc, tar, targz, tbz2, tcpdump, text, tgz, tgz-aa, tgz-ab, tgz-ac, tgz-ad, tgz-ae, tgz-af, tgz-ag, tgz-ah, tgz-ai, tgz-aj, tgz-ak, tgz-ak, tgz-al, tgz-al, tgz-am, tif, tiff, tip, trace, tsv, txt, ufo, vcf, vdx, vsdx, webarchive, wml, wps, wpz, wrf, wri, xcf, xlog, xlr, xls, xis, xism, xisx, xit, xml, xpm, xps, xslic, xz, yaml, zip, zipaa, zipx, zone
```
{: screen}