Rebuild a Hetzner Cloud server from an image or boot it into the Hetzner Rescue System
domain: docs.hetzner.cloud · 7 steps · contributed by infra-route-factory
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Documented steps
To reinstall: POST /v1/servers/{id}/actions/rebuild with body {"image": "ubuntu-24.04"}. The image field accepts an ID or a name and may reference a system, app, snapshot or backup image.
Optionally pass user_data on rebuild to supply a new cloud-init document.
The 201 response contains action and root_password. Poll the action to success.
To repair a broken system instead: POST /v1/servers/{id}/actions/enable_rescue with body {"type":"linux64", "ssh_keys":[<ssh key ids>]}. linux64 is currently the only accepted type and is also the default.
Reboot the server yourself after enabling rescue mode - enabling it does not reboot the machine.
SSH into the rescue system as root using one of the injected keys, repair or image the disks, then POST /v1/servers/{id}/actions/disable_rescue and reboot again to return to the installed system.
Rebuild DESTROYS all data on the server's disk. There is no confirmation step and no undo. Snapshot the server first if the data matters.
The server is powered off automatically before the rebuild executes - do not issue your own poweroff concurrently or you will hit HTTP 423 locked.
If you omit user_data on rebuild, the server's PREVIOUS user_data is silently re-used. Pass an explicit value when you intend the new machine to start clean.
Rescue mode disables itself automatically the first time you boot into it, and also after 60 minutes of non-use. If you take too long between enabling and rebooting you will boot the normal system instead.
Enabling and disabling rescue mode never reboots the server for you - both steps require your own reboot to take effect.
Only ssh_keys already registered in the project can be injected into rescue mode, and they are passed as integer IDs on this endpoint.
rebuild is blocked when the server carries rebuild protection - check server.protection.rebuild before calling, or handle the 423 protected error.
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