For AI agents: a Markdown version of this page is at https://docs.snowplow.io/docs/signals/setup.md. The index of all documentation pages is at https://docs.snowplow.io/llms.txt, and the index for this section is at https://docs.snowplow.io/docs/signals/llms.txt.
Set up Signals
Before you can define attributes or interventions, you need a Signals environment. How you get one depends on whether you already use Snowplow. Setup is a one-time task, done in Snowplow Console.
New to Snowplow: the Signals free tier is a hosted environment, with event collection included, capped at 5 million events a month, with no end date or credit card. Snowplow runs it on AWS, in the US or the EU depending on the region you sign up from.
Already run Snowplow CDI: Signals reads events from your existing pipeline, and is deployed in the AWS region you choose. See Set up Signals.
Choose your starting point
Pick the path that matches your account. Both end with Signals ready to configure in Console.
Start on the Signals free tier
Sign up at signals.snowplow.io/start. The free tier is provisioned with a pipeline and with Signals already enabled, so you don't need to click Enable. Snowplow hosts it on AWS, in the US or the EU depending on the region you sign up from.
To connect from code later, find your Signals API URL and organization ID in Console > Signals > Overview, as listed in connection credentials.
To point a tracker at your pipeline, find your Collector URL in Console > Pipelines > select your pipeline > Configuration > Collector Domains, the same place as for any Snowplow pipeline.
Add Signals to an existing Snowplow account
For Snowplow CDI Cloud and Private Managed Cloud accounts, the Signals package must be enabled on your account before you can deploy it. Contact your account team to enable it. Once it's enabled, you deploy Signals yourself from Console, in the AWS region you choose.
Log in to Console and navigate to the Signals section. Click Enable to start setting up Signals.
A warehouse connection is optional. Without one, you can still check attribute values as they're calculated, using the Snowplow Inspector. You need a warehouse connection to test attribute definitions, backfill stream attributes, and sync warehouse tables. Snowflake, BigQuery, and Databricks are supported.
To connect a warehouse:
- Select which warehouse to use
- Specify your warehouse account details
- Specify your Snowplow atomic events table
- Run the provided script
Click Test and create connection to trigger the Signals deployment. You'll be able to start using Signals as soon as the infrastructure is ready.
Next steps
Once the infrastructure is ready, navigate to the Signals section to manage Signals in the UI. Use the configuration interface to define attribute groups, services, and interventions.
To work with Signals programmatically, using the SDKs or API instead of (or alongside) Console, see Connect to Signals.
For deployment options and how Signals is metered, see pricing on the Signals site.