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    Delete an Instance

    Properly remove cloud instances and manage associated resources

    Warning: Permanent Action

    Deletion is permanent and immediate. All data on the instance will be lost. Always create a snapshot or backup before deleting.

    Before You Delete

    Create a Snapshot (Recommended)

    If there's any chance you'll need this data again:

    1. Select the instance
    2. Click Create Snapshot
    3. Wait for the snapshot to complete
    4. Verify the snapshot appears in your Images list

    Backup Important Data

    Download any critical files, databases, or configurations:

    # Example: Download files via SCP
scp -r user@instance-ip:/path/to/important/files ./backup/

# Example: Backup database
ssh user@instance-ip "mysqldump -u root -p database_name" > backup.sql

    Update DNS

    If this instance is serving traffic, update your DNS records to point elsewhere before deleting.

    Check for Floating IPs

    Floating IPs are not automatically deleted. You'll need to release them separately to avoid charges.

    Deleting an Instance

    1. Log into the Cloud Control Panel
    2. Navigate to Compute → Instances
    3. Find the instance you want to delete
    4. Click the actions dropdown (⋮) for that instance
    5. Select Delete Instance
    6. Confirm the deletion when prompted
    Delete Instance action in Cloud Control Panel

    What Gets Deleted

    ✓ Deleted

    • • Instance and all data
    • • Boot volume
    • • Ephemeral storage

    ✗ NOT Deleted

    • • Floating IPs
    • • Snapshots
    • • Security groups
    • • SSH keys
    • • Additional volumes

    Billing After Deletion

    Billing stops immediately upon deletion:

    • You're charged only for the hours the instance was running
    • No partial hour charges - billed to the nearest hour
    • Any unused monthly bandwidth does not roll over
    • Floating IPs continue to incur charges until released

    ⚠️ Additional Resources Continue Charging

    Additional volumes are not automatically deleted when an instance is deleted. They remain in your account and continue to incur storage charges until you manually delete them.

    Alternative: Shelve Instance

    If you want to temporarily stop charges without deleting, consider shelving the instance instead:

    Benefits of Shelving

    • • Creates a snapshot automatically
    • • Removes the instance from compute
    • • Stops compute charges
    • • Can be unshelved later to restore

    Important Notes

    • • Storage charges continue
    • • Snapshot created counts toward quota
    • • Can unshelve anytime
    • • Data preserved completely

    To Shelve an Instance

    1. Select the instance
    2. Click Shelve Instance in the actions menu
    3. Wait for the shelving process to complete

    To Restore a Shelved Instance

    1. Find the shelved instance in your instance list
    2. Click Unshelve Instance
    3. The instance will boot from its snapshot

    💡 Pro Tip

    With hourly billing, you can safely delete instances you're not using and recreate them later from snapshots. This gives you maximum flexibility while minimizing costs.