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How to Create an Instance Template

Updated on 21 April, 2026

Create a reusable Vultr instance template that defines the compute plan, OS, SSH keys, startup script, VPC, and storage for cluster deployments.

An instance template is a reusable blueprint that defines the plan, OS, SSH keys, startup script, VPC, and storage configuration for instances. Templates ensure consistent deployments across a cluster and simplify scaling by eliminating the need to specify configuration details for each new instance.

This guide explains how to create an instance template using the Vultr API.

The following table describes the available fields for creating an instance template:

Field Type Required Description
plan string Yes The compute plan identifier (e.g., vhp-4c-8gb-intel).
label string No A descriptive label for the template.
os_id integer No The operating system ID.
iso_id string No The ISO image ID.
snapshot_id string No The snapshot ID.
marketplace_app_id integer No The Marketplace application ID.
marketplace_image_id integer No The Marketplace image ID.
script_id string No The startup script ID to execute on boot.
ssh_key_ids array No Array of SSH key IDs to install on the instance.
vpc_ids array No Array of VPC network IDs to attach to the instance.
vfs_ids array No Array of Vultr File Storage (VFS) subscription IDs to attach.
user_data string No Base64-encoded Cloud-Init user data to initialize and customize the instance at boot.
Note
Creating an instance template requires only the plan field. All other fields are optional. To set an image source, choose only one of os_id, iso_id, snapshot_id, marketplace_app_id, or marketplace_image_id.

Send a POST request to the Create Instance Template endpoint to create a new template. Replace the placeholder values with your configuration.

console 
$ curl "https://api.vultr.com/v2/instances/templates" \
    -X POST \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer ${VULTR_API_KEY}" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{
        "plan": "PLAN",
        "os_id": OS-ID,
        "label": "TEMPLATE-LABEL",
        "ssh_key_ids": [
            "SSH-KEY-ID"
        ],
        "vpc_ids": [
            "VPC-ID"
        ]
    }'

A successful request returns an HTTP 200 OK response with the template details. Note the template id for use when creating clusters or instances.

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