# Connect to Confluent
Confluent is a full-scale, advanced data [streaming platform](https://docs.confluent.io/platform/current/_glossary.html#term-event-streaming-platform) that facilitates seamless access storage, and management of continuous real-time data streams.
The Confluent cost center is available in the [MegaBill](/user-guide/inform/megabill.md), providing breakdowns by services, clusters, usage type (e.g., network write, storage), and network access type (e.g., Peered VCP, Internet).
This integration ensures a unified view of all associated costs, combining the environment's expenditures with its related cloud expenses. [Virtual Tags](/user-guide/inform/virtual-tags.md) can be utilized to further consolidate costs and obtain a comprehensive view.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note**: To retrieve cost data from Confluent, use the following endpoint:\
`http://api.confluent.cloud/billing/v1/costs`
{% endhint %}
## **1. Connect Confluent to Finout**
1. Navigate to confluent cloud home.
2. Select the menu on the right and choose **Cloud API keys**.
3. Click on **Add** key.
4. Choose **Granular access**.
5. Select **Create a new one**, input a new service account name and description, and proceed (a new service account will be created).
6. Once the key is generated, an option to describe it appears. Click **Download** and continue.
## **2. Grant permissions to the cloud API key**
1. On the right menu, select **Accounts and Access**.
2. Navigate to **Service Accounts** under **Accounts**.
3. Search for the newly created service account and select it.
4. Select **Add role assignment** under organization.
5. Choose **BillingAdmin** and confirm this choice.
6. Provide Finout with the generated API key and secret.
{% hint style="warning" %}
**Important**: You must hold the BillingAdmin role for successful integration.
{% endhint %}
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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:
```
GET https://docs.finout.io/billing-integrations/data-and-engineering-platforms/connect-to-confluent.md?ask=
```
The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
