# Using the RDF4J console to connect to a Neptune DB instance
<a name="access-graph-sparql-rdf4j-console"></a>



The RDF4J Console allows you to experiment with Resource Description Framework (RDF) graphs and queries in a REPL (read-eval-print loop) environment. 

You can add a remote graph database as a repository and query it from the RDF4J Console. This section walks you through the configuration of the RDF4J Console to connect remotely to a Neptune DB instance.

**To connect to Neptune using the RDF4J Console**

1. Download the RDF4J SDK from the [Download page](http://rdf4j.org/download/) on the RDF4J website.

1. Unzip the RDF4J SDK zip file.

1. In a terminal, navigate to the RDF4J SDK directory, and then enter the following command to run the RDF4J Console:

   ```
   bin/console.sh
   ```

   You should see output similar to the following:

   ```
   14:11:51.126 [main] DEBUG o.e.r.c.platform.PlatformFactory - os.name = linux
   14:11:51.130 [main] DEBUG o.e.r.c.platform.PlatformFactory - Detected Posix platform
   Connected to default data directory
   RDF4J Console 3.6.1
   
   3.6.1
   Type 'help' for help.
   >
   ```

   You are now at the `>` prompt. This is the general prompt for the RDF4J Console. You use this prompt for setting up repositories and other operations. A repository has its own prompt for running queries.

1. At the `>` prompt, enter the following to create a SPARQL repository for your Neptune DB instance:

    

   ```
   create sparql
   ```

1. The RDF4J Console prompts you for values for the variables required to connect to the SPARQL endpoint.

   ```
   Please specify values for the following variables:
   ```

   Specify the following values:    
[\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/neptune/latest/userguide/access-graph-sparql-rdf4j-console.html)

   For information about finding the address of your Neptune DB instance, see the [Connecting to Amazon Neptune Endpoints](feature-overview-endpoints.md) section.

   If the operation is successful, you see the following message:

    

   ```
   Repository created
   ```

1. At the `>` prompt, enter the following to connect to the Neptune DB instance:

   ```
   open neptune
   ```

   If the operation is successful, you see the following message:

    

   ```
   Opened repository 'neptune'
   ```

   You are now at the `neptune>` prompt. At this prompt, you can run queries against the Neptune graph.

    
**Note**  
Now that you have added the repository, the next time you run `bin/console.sh`, you can immediately run the `open neptune` command to connect to the Neptune DB instance.

1. At the `neptune>` prompt, enter the following to run a SPARQL query that returns up to 10 of the triples (subject-predicate-object) in the graph by using the `?s ?p ?o` query with a limit of 10. To query for something else, replace the text after the `sparql` command with another SPARQL query.

   ```
   sparql select ?s ?p ?o where {?s ?p ?o} limit 10
   ```