To be able to use CARTOframes, and to interact with data stored in the cloud-based PostGIS database service that CARTO offers, it is necessary to sign up for a CARTO account. While free accounts are available, with limited storage capacity and access to existing data resources, it is necessary to have a paid account to use CARTOframes, as these accounts are provided API keys. The API key will be used by CARTOframes to identify the account, with each data request sent to the user's cloud geodatabase.