Connect to Neptune

Graph Explorer connects to Amazon Neptune through its proxy server, which forwards requests to the database and handles SigV4 signing when IAM authentication is enabled.

Connection Settings

Name: My Neptune Cluster
Database URL: https://{your-cluster-endpoint}:8182
Query Language: Choose the query language for your graph
Connection method: Through the Graph Explorer server. Amazon Neptune sends no CORS headers, so a browser can’t reach it directly.
Use AWS IAM authentication: checked if IAM authentication is enabled on your cluster. Checking it reveals the AWS Region and Service Type fields.
AWS Region: your cluster’s region (e.g., us-east-1)
Service Type: Neptune DB (or Neptune Analytics)

When IAM authentication is enabled, AWS credentials must be available where Graph Explorer’s proxy server runs (environment variables, credential file, or IAM role). At minimum, the identity needs read query privileges. See Sample IAM Policies, and replace the placeholders before you attach one.

For details on how credentials are resolved, see the AWS credential provider chain documentation.

Network Access

Public Endpoints

Neptune public endpoints allow Graph Explorer to connect from outside the VPC — including from your local machine. This requires:

Neptune engine version 1.4.6.x or later
Public accessibility enabled on the Neptune instance
IAM database authentication enabled on the cluster (required for public endpoints)
Security group allowing inbound traffic on port 8182 from Graph Explorer’s IP

VPC Access

For Neptune instances without public endpoints, Graph Explorer must be deployed within the same VPC or connected via VPC peering. See the deployment guides: