--- title: "How to Launch a Public Cloud Instance [New]" description: "0:00 3:14 [*This article is intended for customers using our New Public Cloud Platform. For articles covering our old Public Cloud offering, please check here.*](https://kb.leaseweb.com/kb/public-cloud/) A new instance can be launched through the Leaseweb Customer Portal or via the OpenStack…" url: "https://kb.leaseweb.com/kb/public-cloud-new/launching-a-public-cloud-instance-new/" updated: "2026-09-16" category: "Products / Public Cloud [New]" tags: - cloud instances - instance setup - launch instance - public cloud - public cloud instance --- # How to Launch a Public Cloud Instance [New] 0:00 3:14 [*This article is intended for customers using our New Public Cloud Platform. For articles covering our old Public Cloud offering, please check here.*](https://kb.leaseweb.com/kb/public-cloud/) A new instance can be launched through the Leaseweb Customer Portal or via the OpenStack API. If you launch an instance of a type covered by a **Savings Plan**, it will be included under your [Savings Plan](https://kb.leaseweb.com/kb/public-cloud-new/public-cloud-savings-plans-new/) and will not incur additional compute charges, provided you do not exceed the number of instances covered by the plan. ## How to Launch a Public Cloud Instance from the Customer Portal 1. Go to your Leaseweb Customer Portal account. 2. From the menu, select **Public Cloud** and click **Launch Instance**. 3. Configure your instance on the **Launch** page. ## Prerequisites - An SSH key created to securely connect to your instance. - A Network and Router configured for your project. ## How to Configure a New Instance 1. **Select a Region** - By default, the region you are currently logged in to will be selected. - In order to switch to a different region, you are required to switch your account to the corresponding sales organization. You can do this by clicking on your profile icon in the top right corner. 1. **Select the Availability Zone** - Choose the Availability Zone where you want to launch your instance. - Select either **eu-west-3-az1** or **eu-west-3-az2.** ![image 10](https://kb.leaseweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/image-10-1024x481.png) [Back to the top ↑](#top) 1. **Add the Instance Name** **and Description** - Enter a name for your instance and, optionally, add a description to help identify its purpose. ![image 11](https://kb.leaseweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/image-11-1024x336.png) 1. **Choose an Instance Source** - If you are just getting started, simply select the operating system image and its version for your instance. ![image 11](https://kb.leaseweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-11-1024x424.png) - By default, the storage volume is deleted when the instance is terminated. - To keep the volume after deleting the instance, uncheck the **Delete Volume on Instance Termination** option. - You can also launch an instance from a Snapshot or Volume if available / set up. 1. **Configure the Storage** **Volume** - Configure the volume size and type for your instance. - By default, a *minimum of 5 GB is required* to install the operating system image. - You can attach additional storage volumes to the instance later if needed. ![image 10](https://kb.leaseweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-10-1024x125.png) 1. **Select Instance Type** - Select the vintage and instance type according to your required compute type and size of the instance, including CPU and RAM allocated to the instance. ![image 12](https://kb.leaseweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-12-1024x367.png) 1. (Optional) **Add User data** - User data allows you to automatically install packages or run scripts when the instance starts for the first time. - **This step is optional.** ![image 14](https://kb.leaseweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/image-14-1024x195.png) 1. **Select a Key Pair** - A key pair provides a secure way to connect to your instance. Select an existing key pair or create a new one. ![image 16](https://kb.leaseweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/image-16-1024x466.png) [Back to the top ↑](#top) 1. **Select the Network** - Select a network for your instance. If you have not created one yet, you can create it directly from the networks page on the customer portal. ![image 17](https://kb.leaseweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/image-17-1024x166.png) 1. (Optional) **Add Security Groups** - Adding Security Groups is *optional*and allows you to control which network traffic can access your instance. ![image 18](https://kb.leaseweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/image-18-1024x125.png) Security group rules required for correct instance provisioning The operating system images provided by Leaseweb require the following traffic to be allowed: - Egress UDP port 67 to 0.0.0.0/0 (DHCP server) - Egress TCP port 80 to 169.254.169.254 (Metadata server) Make sure this traffic is allowed if your Security Group selectively allows egress traffic, and you use operating system images provided by Leaseweb. 1. **Set the Amount of Instances** Specify the number of instances you want to launch. You can create one, or multiple instances, in a single request. The maximum number of instances you can launch at once is 10. ![image 19](https://kb.leaseweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/image-19-1024x133.png) 1. **Review the Summary** - Click the **Launch**button when you are ready to create your instance. - A summary will display the selected instance specifications and the estimated costs before deployment. Review and continue with the launch. ![image 13](https://kb.leaseweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/image-13-1024x160.png)