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How to Set Up a Hetzner Server with ServerSinc

June 22, 2025 · Guides

Setting up a new Hetzner server with ServerSinc is fast, secure, and cost-effective. This comprehensive guide walks you through creating your first Hetzner Cloud server, from adding your Hetzner API tokens through to a production-ready VPS.

Prerequisites

Before setting up your Hetzner server on ServerSinc, ensure you have:

  • An active ServerSinc account with billing configured
  • A Hetzner Cloud account with payment method added
  • Hetzner Cloud API token with read/write permissions
  • SSH keys on your Hetzner account (preferably on your local machine too!)
  • Basic understanding of your application's resource requirements

Step 1: Add Your Hetzner Cloud API Token

ServerSinc needs API access to your Hetzner Cloud account to create and manage servers automatically.

Adding Your Hetzner API Tken to ServerSinc

  1. Open ServerSinc dashboard and go to Cloud Tokens
  2. Select "Add Cloud Token"
  3. Choose "Hetzner" from the provider dropdown
  4. Enter your token details:
    • Name: "Production Hetzner Account" (or descriptive name)
    • API Token: Paste your Hetzner Cloud API token
  5. Click "Add Token" to save the token

You should see a green "Added" under SSH Keys in the table if the key was successful. Serversinc adds its own SSH key to your Hetzner account to enable SSH access to servers under it's management.

Step 2: Configure Your New Hetzner Server

With your Hetzner integration configured:

  1. Return to the ServerSinc main dashboard
  2. Click "Servers" in the primary navigation
  3. Click the "Create Server" button
  4. Select "Hetzner" as your provider

Hetzner Server Configuration

You'll be prompted for a name, size and location of the server.

Cost Optimization Tip: Start with CX21 for most applications. Hetzner's prices are so competitive that over-provisioning initially costs very little, and you can always downsize later.

Step 3: Add SSH Keys for Secure Access

SSH keys provide secure, password-less access to your Hetzner server from your development machines.

Adding Your SSH Public Keys

In the "SSH Keys" section of the server creation form, paste in any names of keys you want adding to the server to allow access from your local machine.

production,prod-hetzner

Step 4: Create and Monitor Provisioning

Launch Your Hetzner Server

  1. Review all configuration settings:
    • Server name and location
    • Size and specifications
    • SSH keys properly formatted
  2. Click "Create Server" to begin provisioning

ServerSinc immediately redirects you to the Server Provisioning Dashboard, where you can watch your Hetzner server come online in real-time. You'll notice a few details update over time such as the IP Address.

ServerSinc automates the complete Hetzner server setup. Here's what happens during the ~5-7 minute provisioning process:

Stage 1: Hetzner Infrastructure Creation (1-2 minutes)

  • Server instance creation on Hetzner Cloud
  • IPv4/IPv6 address assignment
  • Initial boot and connectivity verification

Stage 2: System Preparation (2-3 minutes)

  • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS boot
  • SSH key installation and user configuration
  • System update initiation: apt update && apt upgrade -y

Stage 3: Docker Installation (1-2 minutes)

  • Docker installation from official repositories
  • Tugboat installation (ServerSinc's deployment agent)
  • Server registration through Tugboat to Serversinc

After a few minutes, the Server page will refresh and show the currently running containers (if any) and a list of Docker images already on the server.

Congratulations! Your Hetzner server is now live and ready for applications.