Creating Templates

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Introduction

Creating a template is simple - it’s just telling Vast.ai how you want your instances to be configured. This guide will walk you through creating your first template step by step.

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Prerequisites

• A Vast.ai account
• SSH client installed on your local machine and SSH public key added in the SSH Keys tab in the Keys section of your console
• (Optional) Install and use vast-cli

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Ways to Create Templates

You have three options:

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1. Edit an Existing Template (Recommended for Beginners)

Start with one of our recommended templates and customize it to your needs. This is the easiest way to get started. Best for: First-time users, quick customization of existing setups

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2. Create from Scratch

Click ”+ New” on the templates page for a blank template and configure everything yourself. Best for: Users who know exactly what they need

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3. Use an Existing Docker Image

Find a Docker image on DockerHub or another registry and create a template around it. Best for: Users with a specific application in mind (e.g., nginx, postgres, a specific ML framework)

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Tutorial: Create Your First Template

Let’s create a simple template together. We’ll edit the NVIDIA CUDA template from the Quick Start guide.

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Step 1: Open the Template Editor

1. Go to cloud.vast.ai/templates
2. Find the “NVIDIA CUDA” template (or any recommended template)
3. Click the pencil icon to edit

You’ll see two tabs: Config and ReadMe. Stay on the Config tab.

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Step 2: Give Your Template a Name

In the Identification section:

• Change the Template Name to something descriptive (e.g., “My First Template”)
• Add a Template Description if you’d like (optional)

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Step 3: Choose Your Docker Image

In the Docker Repository And Environment section, you’ll see the Image Path:Tag field. You can use:

• Any public Docker image (e.g., nginx:latest, postgres:14, python:3.11)
• Vast.ai base images (e.g., vastai/base-image, vastai/pytorch)
• Your own custom images from any registry

For this tutorial, keep the existing NVIDIA CUDA image or try nginx:latest for a simple web server.

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Step 4: Add Ports (Optional)

If your application needs external access, add ports in the Ports section. For example, if you’re running nginx, add port 80.

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Step 5: Set Environment Variables (Optional)

If your Docker image requires environment variables, add them in the Environment Variables section.

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Step 6: Choose a Launch Mode

Select how you want to access your instance:

• Jupyter + SSH - Best for interactive development (default for most use cases)
• SSH only - If you don’t need Jupyter
• docker ENTRYPOINT - If you want the container to run exactly as designed

For this tutorial, keep the default (Jupyter + SSH).

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Step 7: Save Your Template

Scroll to the bottom and click one of the save buttons:

• Create - Saves the template to “My Templates” for later use
• Create & Use - Saves and immediately takes you to the offers page to rent an instance

Congratulations! You’ve created your first template.

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Next Steps

Now that you know the basics, you can:

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Explore All Template Options

See our Template Settings for complete documentation of every field in the template editor.

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Add Advanced Customization

Learn about runtime customization and building custom Docker images in our Advanced Setup guide:

• PROVISIONING_SCRIPT - Run setup scripts when instances start
• PORTAL_CONFIG - Configure the Instance Portal
• Base Images - Build custom Docker images with Vast.ai security features
• VM Templates - When to use virtual machines instead of containers

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Manage Your Templates

Learn how to update, share, and troubleshoot templates in our Managing Templates guide.

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See Real Examples

Check out our GROBID example to see a complete template creation workflow for a real application.

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Common Use Cases

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I want to run a specific application (e.g., nginx, postgres)

1. Find the official Docker image on DockerHub
2. Create a template with that image path
3. Add required ports and environment variables
4. Save and launch

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I want to customize a Vast recommended template

1. Edit one of our recommended templates
2. Add a PROVISIONING_SCRIPT environment variable pointing to your setup script
3. See Advanced Setup for details

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I want to build my own custom Docker image

1. Create a Dockerfile (optionally FROM a Vast base image)
2. Build and push to a container registry
3. Create a template with your custom image path
4. See Advanced Setup for details