Replace instance
⚠️ This endpoint is in public preview.
Terminates the target instance and creates a fresh one on the same capacity and SKU with a new image (and optionally a new startup script and name). Capacity, SKU, subnet, public IPv4, firewall, tags, and priority are inherited from the replaced instance. The two operations happen in a single transaction. Pass an Idempotency-Key header to make retries safe: a repeated request returns the replacement created by the first attempt instead of creating another one.
Authorizations
Create an API token using sf tokens create or at https://sfcompute.com/account/api-keys.
Headers
Optional key that makes the request idempotent. Retries with the same key return the original replacement.
Path Parameters
A resource path like 'sfc:instance:acme:prod:my-instance' or an ID. Resource paths are human-readable but not stable - they change when resources are renamed or moved. IDs are stable and permanent.
(inst_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21}|vm_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21})|(sfc:instance:[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+(:[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+){2,2})"inst_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"
Body
Request body for POST /v2/instances/{id}/replace. Terminates the target instance and creates a fresh one on the same capacity and SKU, with a new image (and optionally a new startup script / name). Capacity, SKU, subnet, public-IPv4, firewall, tags, and priority are inherited from the terminated instance.
Image to launch the replacement instance from.
(image_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21}|vmi_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21})|(sfc:image:[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+(:[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+){2,2})"image_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"
Base64-encoded cloud-init user data. Maximum 64KB. If omitted, the replacement starts with no startup script — you will not be able to SSH into it.
"IyEvYmluL2Jhc2gKZWNobyBoZWxsbyB3b3JsZAo="
Optional name for the replacement. A name is generated if omitted. Must differ from the replaced instance's name, which stays reserved while that instance lingers in the terminated state.
1 - 255[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9._-]{0,254}"my-resource-name"
Response
Replacement instance created.
Accepts the canonical prefix below; additional legacy prefixes are aliased for read compatibility. Writes always emit the canonical form.
inst_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21}"inst_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"
A resource path for a instance resource. Format: sfc:instance:::.
sfc:instance:([a-zA-Z0-9._-]+:){2}[a-zA-Z0-9._-]+"sfc:instance:<account_id>:<workspace>:<name>"
1 - 255[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9._-]{0,254}"my-resource-name"
1 - 255[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9._-]{0,254}"my-resource-name"
wksp_[0-9a-zA-Z_-]{1,21}"wksp_k3R-nX9vLm7Qp2Yw5Jd8F"
1 - 255[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9._-]{0,254}"my-resource-name"
"instance"awaiting_allocation when waiting for compute allocation on its capacity, running once assigned and the physical machine is running (still takes time for the image to be downloaded and booted), terminated when stopped by the user or after running out of allocation, failed on hardware fault.
awaiting_allocation, running, terminated, failed Capacity this instance is utilizing.
Unix timestamp.
1738972800
Image this instance was launched from.
Whether cloud-init user data is configured for this instance.
Instance SKU this instance is running on. Only present when assigned to a physical machine. Carries the SKU's human-readable name when one is registered.
Deployment managing this instance, if any.
Base64-encoded cloud-init user data.
"IyEvYmluL2Jhc2gKZWNobyBoZWxsbyB3b3JsZAo="
Metadata tags attached to this instance.
{ "env": "prod", "team": "infra" }Predicted Unix timestamp at which this node will be terminated because its capacity drops below the count of running nodes. null if no shutdown is scheduled in the predictable horizon — either the capacity covers this node indefinitely, or a future capacity increase blocks the prediction. Recomputed on every read.
1738972800
Instance priority. Lower-priority instances are terminated first when the capacity's quota drops below the running-instance count.
yield, normal, preferred, critical