Skip to content

Getting Started

Jump to bottom
brwinnov edited this page Mar 14, 2026 · 3 revisions

Getting Started — Hetzner Cloud Toolkit

Follow this guide to set up the Hetzner Cloud Toolkit and create your first server.

1️⃣ Install the Extension

Option A: VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
  3. Search for Hetzner Cloud Toolkit
  4. Click Install

Option B: Direct VSIX Download

  1. Download from GitHub Releases
  2. In VS Code, go to Extensions → Install from VSIX
  3. Select the .vsix file

2️⃣ Get Your Hetzner API Token

You need a Hetzner Cloud API token to use this extension.

  1. Log in to console.hetzner.cloud
  2. Select your project → Security → API Tokens
  3. Click Generate API Token
  4. Give it a Name and ensure Read & Write permissions are enabled
  5. Click Generate
  6. ⚠️ Copy the token immediately — Hetzner only shows it once!

Token Permissions

The extension requires Read & Write access to:

  • Servers
  • Networks
  • SSH Keys
  • Firewalls
  • Volumes

3️⃣ Add Your Token to the Extension

  1. Open the Hetzner Cloud Toolkit sidebar (cloud icon in the Activity Bar)
  2. Find the SETUP panel at the top
  3. Click Add Hetzner Project API Key
  4. Enter:
    • Project Name: A friendly name (e.g., Production, Dev, Staging)
    • API Token: Paste your token from step 2
  5. Click Add

The extension will verify your token and load your resources automatically.

4️⃣ (Optional) Set Up SSH Keys

For password-less server access, set up SSH keys:

  1. In the SETUP panel, click Generate SSH Key (or use an existing key)
  2. The SSH Key Generation Guide will walk you through:
    • Generating a new Ed25519 key
    • Adding it to your Hetzner Cloud project
    • Saving it locally

Note: You only need to do this once per project.

5️⃣ Create Your First Server

  1. Open the SERVERS panel in the sidebar

  2. Click the ＋ button, or run Hetzner Cloud Toolkit: Create Server from the Command Palette

  3. Follow the 7-step wizard:

    • Step 1: Basics — Name your server, choose location
    • Step 2: Server Type — Choose CPU, RAM, storage (shows pricing)
    • Step 3: OS Image — Pick your OS (Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, etc.)
    • Step 4: SSH Keys — Select keys for root access
    • Step 5: Network — Optionally add to a private network
    • Step 6: Cloud-Init — Add custom startup scripts
    • Step 7: Review — Confirm all settings and create

  4. Your new server will appear in the SERVERS panel within seconds

  5. Right-click to Power On, Power Off, Reboot, or Delete

6️⃣ Next Steps

❓ Troubleshooting Initial Setup

Extension Not Showing in Sidebar

  • Reload VS Code: Ctrl+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window
  • Check VS Code version: Extension requires v1.85.0 or later

Token Not Working

  • Ensure token has Read & Write permissions
  • Check that you're using the correct token (not a Deploy Token)
  • Verify you're in the correct project

No Projects Showing

  1. Check your internet connection
  2. Verify API token permissions
  3. Try reloading: Ctrl+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window

Need More Help?

Ready to explore more? Check out the Features Guide 👉

Clone this wiki locally