InstantNode Documentation

Getting started

Create an account, add a little balance, and you can deploy in under a minute. Everything is billed from your prepaid balance - there are no contracts and you can cancel anytime.

1. Create an account at instantnode.eu/auth/register - with email + password, or sign in with Discord, Google or GitHub.
2. Verify your email via the link we send you, then sign in. You can also add a passkey for passwordless login.
3. Complete your billing address in Profile & Security (required before your first top-up/order).
4. Top up your balance from the Billing page (minimum €2.50) via PayPal or cryptocurrency.
5. Deploy a server, game server, bot, webspace or domain from the sidebar.

Account & security

Manage everything under Profile & Security (top-right menu → Profile).

Passkeys (recommended)

Sign in with your fingerprint, face or device PIN instead of a password - phishing-resistant and faster.

• Add one: Profile → Passkeys → Add passkey, then follow your device prompt and give it a name.
• Use it: on the login page click Sign in with a passkey.
• You can register multiple passkeys (e.g. laptop + phone) and remove them individually.

Two-factor authentication (2FA)

Enable TOTP 2FA (Google Authenticator, Authy, etc.) under Profile for an extra layer on password logins.

Social logins

You can link Discord, Google or GitHub to your account and use them to sign in. If you signed up through one of these providers, you can still set a password later from your profile.

Support PIN

The code in the header (e.g. IN-XXXXXXXX) is your support PIN. Click it to copy, and give it to support so they can find your account quickly.

Billing & balance

InstantNode is prepaid: you top up a balance and services draw from it. No invoices to chase, cancel anytime.

Topping up

• Billing → enter an amount (minimum €2.50) → pick a method.
• Methods: PayPal and cryptocurrency.
• Vouchers: got a voucher code? Enter it during top-up to receive the bonus on your balance.

Hourly vs. monthly

• Hourly billing is the default - pay only for what you run, billed from your balance while the service exists.
• Monthly billing gives roughly a 10% saver discount versus hourly.
• Sales stack on top - when a sale is live you will see it in the price build-up and in the notifications bell.

On the create screens the Estimated price card shows the full build-up: monthly price → each discount (saver, sale) with the exact amount → Charged now → your balance after.

Earn free balance

Under Dashboard → Earn you can complete short surveys from our survey partners. Once a provider confirms your completion, the reward is credited to your account automatically. Answer honestly - providers reject inconsistent answers.

KVM VPS

Full KVM virtual servers with dedicated resources, NVMe storage and DDoS protection included. Create one under Dashboard → Servers.

Deploy a server

1. Type - KVM VPS (Linux), Windows VPS, or Storage VPS.
2. Plan - pick one of the presets, or open Custom and set the exact resources with sliders: up to 32 vCPU, 64 GB RAM and 1 TB NVMe. The price updates live as you move the sliders and is a per-resource formula, so you only pay for what you configure.
3. Configure - choose the OS and hostname. Linux servers install from cloud images: Debian, Ubuntu, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux and CentOS. The Windows VPS option deploys Windows Server and is roughly 15% more expensive than the equivalent Linux configuration.
4. Deploy - review the price build-up and deploy. The root password is shown after deploy on the server page - store it safely.

Managing a server

• Power: start, stop and reboot from the server page.
• Console: the Console button opens a live VNC console in your browser (served from vnc.instantnode.eu) - useful when SSH is down or during OS setup.
• Reinstall: wipe the server and install a fresh cloud image at any time.
• Resize: upgrade the plan from the server page; the quote follows your server's billing cycle.
• Live stats: CPU, RAM and disk usage with history graphs.
• Every server includes a dedicated IPv4 address and always-on DDoS protection.

Storage VPS

Storage VPS are KVM servers optimised for capacity instead of compute - ideal for backups, archives, media libraries and sync targets.

• Configured entirely with sliders - there are no fixed presets.
• Limits: up to 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM and 5 TB of storage.
• Same management features as a regular KVM VPS: power controls, browser console, reinstall and live stats.

Server Importer

The importer (Dashboard → Import) moves a server you host elsewhere to InstantNode. It creates a new KVM VPS with a matching OS and pulls the files you pick from your old server over SFTP - restored to their original paths on the new machine.

Step-by-step

1. Current OS - select the operating system your old server runs: Debian, Ubuntu, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux or CentOS. The importer pre-selects a matching fresh image for the new server so paths and package layouts line up.
2. SFTP login - enter your old server's SSH details: host, port (default 22), username and password. These credentials are used once to browse and copy your files, and are deleted the moment the import finishes.
3. Choose files - browse your old server's file system live over SFTP and tick the folders and files you want to bring over (e.g. /var/www, /home, /etc/nginx).
4. Pick the target server - choose a plan preset or use the custom sliders (same KVM limits: up to 32 vCPU / 64 GB RAM / 1 TB NVMe). The monthly price is shown before you commit.
5. Create server & import - the panel deploys the new VPS, then copies your selection with live progress (current file and percentage). When it finishes, your files are at the same paths they had on the old server.

What the importer does not do

• Installed packages and services are not re-installed automatically - reinstall them on the new server (your configs arrive with the import), or copy a package list first.
• DNS is not changed for you - point your domains at the new server's IP when you are ready to switch over.

Game servers

One-click game hosting with a full management UI. Ordering is plan-first: you pick a resource tier, then choose the game - every plan can run any game in the catalogue.

1. Pick a plan under Game Servers → Create - tiers differ in CPU, RAM and disk.
2. Pick your game - the catalogue includes Minecraft, Palworld, Rust, Valheim, ARK, Enshrouded, Satisfactory, Counter-Strike 2, Terraria and many more.
3. Pick variant & version where the game supports it (see Minecraft), then deploy.

Managing a game server

• Console: a live server console with command input.
• File manager: browse, edit, upload and import files directly in the browser.
• SFTP: every game server has SFTP credentials on its detail page for use with FileZilla, WinSCP and similar clients.
• Power: start, stop and restart; reinstall when you want a clean slate.
• Update: Steam-based games have an Update server button that downloads the latest build while keeping your world and configuration.
• Plugins & mods: search and install plugins and mods from Modrinth and CurseForge on the server's Plugins page (where the game supports them).
• Sharing: grant teammates scoped permissions (files, console, power, ...) without giving away your account.

Minecraft

Minecraft servers support multiple server software variants and any version - including brand-new ones.

• Variants: Paper (default, recommended), Vanilla, Purpur, Spigot, Fabric, Forge and NeoForge.
• Versions: pick from the live version list, or tick Custom version and type any version string (e.g. 1.20.1 or 26.2) - useful for snapshots or versions not yet in the list.
• Plugins: Paper-family servers can install plugins straight from the Plugins page (Modrinth search built in), or drop .jar files into plugins/ via the file manager or SFTP.
• Edit server.properties and other configs in the file manager; use the console for ops, whitelist and live commands.

Palworld

Palworld servers get extra tooling under the Save Manager button on the server page.

• Settings editor: a visual editor for the world settings (rates, difficulty, limits, ...) grouped by category - no manual PalWorldSettings.ini editing needed. Every field can be reset to its default.
• Worlds: see the worlds on your server and switch the active one.
• Backups: create world backups on demand and restore them later.
• World import: upload an existing world save to the server.
• Co-op migration: bring a local co-op save over to your dedicated server so your group keeps its progress.

Discord bots

Deploy a Discord bot from a framework template and manage its code in the browser. Bots run 24/7 on a fixed spec: 0.5 vCPU, 768 MB RAM, 1 GB disk - the same for every bot, sized for typical Discord workloads.

1. Deploy from Bots → pick a framework.
2. Add your code in the file manager (edit/upload files).
3. Set your token: create an env entry named DISCORD_TOKEN with your bot token (from the Discord Developer Portal → your app → Bot → Reset Token). It is injected into the runtime.
4. Start the bot and watch the console for logs.

Web hosting (webspaces)

Managed website hosting for classic sites and small apps - a webspace instead of a full VPS. Order under Webspaces.

Stacks

Included & add-ons

• Free SSL certificates (Let's Encrypt), issued and renewed automatically.
• SSH & FTP access to your webspace.
• MySQL/MariaDB database available as an add-on plan.
• Reinstall / switch stack from the webspace page - e.g. turn a PHP space into a WordPress install. WordPress reinstalls keep the existing database.

Domains

Search, register and manage domains - DNS management is always included.

• Search & register: from Domains, search a name; available TLDs stream in with live prices. Registration is automatic and usually completes within minutes (up to 48 hours in rare cases).
• Nameservers: default to ns1.instantnode.eu / ns2.instantnode.eu; change them anytime from the domain's page.
• DNS records: add and edit A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT and more directly in the panel (when using our nameservers).
• Transfer in: move an existing domain to InstantNode with its auth/EPP code.

Dedicated servers

Bare-metal servers with fully customisable configurations.

• Browse Intel/AMD families in Dedicated and open a model to configure it.
• Customise RAM, storage and bandwidth/traffic - each option shows its price delta.
• Location: choose a datacenter (shown with its country flag).
• Included: 1 dedicated IPv4 + an IPv6 /64 block, anti-DDoS, full root access.
• The summary shows the monthly price, the one-time setup fee, and the total due today. Submit the configuration to order.

Notifications & sales

The bell in the header shows a red dot when there is something for you:

• Ticket replies - support answered your ticket.
• Low balance - top up before services get suspended.
• Suspended servers - something was suspended; check it.
• Live sales - click a sale to jump straight to that product, already discounted.

Support

Two ways to reach us - pick whichever you prefer:

• When opening a ticket, describe your issue and pick a priority.
• Have your support PIN ready (in the panel header) so we can find your account fast.

Security & infrastructure

Where your servers run

All servers are hosted in the Netherlands (EU). InstantNode is operated by a company based in Germany, so your contract partner and your data stay in the EU.

Platform security

• KVM isolation: every VPS is a fully virtualised machine with its own kernel and dedicated resources - no shared-kernel container tricks between customers.
• DDoS protection is always on for hosted services at no extra cost.
• Account security: passkeys and TOTP 2FA (see Account & security).

Reseller API

Resellers can provision servers programmatically.

1. Open Reseller API in the dashboard and generate an API token (shown once - store it securely).
2. Send requests to https://api.instantnode.eu with header Authorization: Bearer <token>.
3. See the in-panel Docs tab for the full endpoint list, request/response shapes and node/template IDs.

curl -X POST https://api.instantnode.eu/servers \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "type": "kvm", "hostname": "web-01", "cpu": 2, "ramMb": 2048, "diskGb": 20 }'

FAQ

When am I billed?

Services draw from your prepaid balance - hourly by default, or monthly if you chose monthly billing (which saves roughly 10%). You are never billed beyond your balance; if it runs out, services can be suspended until you top up.

Can I upgrade a server later?

Yes. VPS plans can be upgraded from the server page; the quote follows your server's billing cycle. Reinstalling with a different OS image is also always possible.

How do I get into my server if SSH is broken?

Use the Console button on the server page - it opens a browser VNC console that works even when networking inside the guest is down.

How do I move my existing server to InstantNode?

Use the Server Importer: it deploys a matching-OS KVM VPS and copies the folders you pick from your old server over SFTP, keeping their original paths. Databases should be dumped and restored separately.

Is there a way to get balance for free?

Yes - complete surveys under Dashboard → Earn. Rewards are credited automatically once the survey provider confirms completion.

Where do I get help?

On Discord or via a support ticket in the panel - see Support.