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

# Creating a Cluster

> Step-by-step guide to building and deploying a complete Kubernetes cluster stack in Ankra.

<Note>
  Build a production-ready Kubernetes environment by combining clusters, add-ons, manifests, and stacks in Ankra.
</Note>

<Frame caption="Importing a Cluster on Ankra">
  <video controls autoPlay muted loop playsInline className="w-full aspect-video rounded-xl" src="https://fsn1.your-objectstorage.com/ankra-vod/import-cluster.mp4" />
</Frame>

## Two Ways to Add a Cluster

There are two ways to get a cluster into Ankra:

* **Import an existing cluster** — bring in a cluster from any provider or on-premises environment (EKS, GKE, AKS, k3s, kind, minikube) by installing the Ankra Agent. This page covers importing.
* **Provision a managed cluster** — let Ankra create a production-ready K3s cluster for you on [Hetzner](/guides/hetzner-clusters), [OVHcloud](/guides/ovh-clusters), or [UpCloud](/guides/upcloud-clusters).

The Ankra Agent is what unlocks the platform's full functionality. Once it is running, your cluster is connected to Ankra and you can deploy add-ons and stacks, monitor resources, automate operations, and get unified visibility and control — no matter where the cluster runs.

## Start Importing Your Cluster

<Steps>
  <Step title="Import a Cluster">
    Start by importing an existing Kubernetes cluster into Ankra.

    * Go to **Clusters** in the Ankra platform.
    * Click **Import Cluster** to add your existing cluster.
    * Follow the instructions to install the [Ankra Agent](/concepts/cluster-agent) in your cluster.
    * Once connected, your cluster will appear in the platform and be ready for management.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Add-ons, Manifests, and Stacks">
    Make your cluster more powerful by adding infrastructure components:

    * **Add-ons**: pick Helm charts and integrations for things like monitoring, ingress, or security.
    * **Manifests**: add your own Kubernetes YAML files to set up namespaces, RBAC, CRDs, and more.
    * **Stacks**: bundle your add-ons and manifests into a stack for quick, repeatable deployments.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deploy Your Application">
    When your cluster stack is ready, deploy your apps and services.

    * Use `kubectl`, CI/CD pipelines, or the Ankra UI to launch your workloads.
    * Watch deployment status and logs right in the platform.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Access Your Infrastructure Stack and UIs">
    After deployment, use the dashboards and UIs from your add-ons (like monitoring, logging, or ingress controllers) right from the Ankra platform.

    * Check health, manage resources, and work with your infrastructure in one place.
    * Open add-on UIs quickly from the cluster overview page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Still have questions? [Join our Slack community](https://join.slack.com/t/ankra-community/shared_invite/zt-3a5rem8f8-cUho4epX2MoLT83bFf~VSA) and we'll help out.