Connect Hetzner Cloud Account

Connect your Hetzner Cloud account to OEC.sh for cost-effective European server provisioning.

What You'll Get

After connecting your Hetzner Cloud account, OEC.sh can:

Important: Hetzner Cloud only provides compute. For DNS and storage, see Critical: Hetzner Services.

Critical: Hetzner Cloud vs Hetzner DNS

Hetzner operates two completely separate services with different consoles and API tokens:

Why This Matters

• A Hetzner Cloud API token only works for servers
• A Hetzner DNS API token only works for DNS
• They are not interchangeable
• You need two different tokens for compute + DNS

For DNS with Hetzner

If you need DNS management with Hetzner:

1. Go to dns.hetzner.com (opens in a new tab) (separate from Cloud Console!)
2. Create an API token there
3. In OEC.sh, add it as a Cloudflare/Generic DNS provider (coming soon)

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Active Hetzner Cloud account (Sign up here (opens in a new tab))
• At least one Cloud project (created automatically on signup)
• Payment method configured

Step-by-Step Connection

Step 1: Access Hetzner Cloud Console

1. Go to console.hetzner.cloud (opens in a new tab)
2. Sign in to your account
3. Select your project (or create one if needed)

Step 2: Generate API Token

1. In your project, click Security in the left sidebar
2. Click API Tokens tab
3. Click Generate API Token
4. Configure the token:

5. Click Generate API Token

IMPORTANT: Copy the token immediately - it's only shown once!

The token looks like: Kfm7KLBu3pfYrATNcAB6qFh7L3xRyddCjRtAQoByW5e2eQqJlZc2G9T0P0157mQC

Step 3: Add to OEC.sh

1. Go to app.oec.sh (opens in a new tab) > Settings > Cloud Accounts
2. Click Add Account
3. Under API Key Authentication, click Hetzner Cloud
4. Fill in the form:

5. Click Add Account

Step 4: Verify Connection

1. Your Hetzner account should appear in the list
2. Status should show Active (green badge)
3. Click the refresh icon to validate
4. You should see: Compute capability badge (only)

Understanding the Compute-Only Limitation

Unlike DigitalOcean or AWS, Hetzner Cloud accounts in OEC.sh only support server provisioning:

What Works

• Create new cloud servers
• List available server types and images
• Manage SSH keys on Hetzner
• Start/stop/delete servers

What Doesn't Work (Different Service)

• DNS management (requires separate Hetzner DNS token)
• Object storage (Hetzner doesn't have S3-compatible storage)

Workarounds

Using Your Hetzner Account

For Server Provisioning

1. Go to Servers > Add Server
2. Choose Provision from Cloud
3. Select your Hetzner account
4. Choose:
   • Location (e.g., Nuremberg, Falkenstein, Helsinki)
   • Server type (e.g., CX21, CPX21)
5. Click Provision

Hetzner Server Types

Hetzner offers excellent price-performance:

*Prices approximate, check Hetzner for current pricing.

Recommended for Odoo

Hetzner Locations

Tip: German locations (fsn1, nbg1) typically have the best pricing and availability.

Managing Your Connection

Rotate API Token

For security, rotate your Hetzner token periodically:

1. Generate a new token in Hetzner Console
2. Edit your cloud account in OEC.sh
3. Enter the new token
4. Delete the old token in Hetzner Console

Delete Account

1. In OEC.sh, click Delete on the account
2. Optionally, revoke the API token in Hetzner Console

Troubleshooting

"Invalid credentials" Error

Cause: API token is incorrect or revoked.

Solution:

1. Verify the token in Hetzner Console > Security > API Tokens
2. Check the token hasn't been deleted
3. Generate a new token if needed
4. Ensure you copied the complete token (no spaces)

"Insufficient permissions" Error

Cause: Token was created with Read-only permissions.

Solution:

1. Go to Hetzner Console > Security > API Tokens
2. The token must have Read & Write permissions
3. If Read-only, delete it and create a new one with full permissions

Server Creation Fails

Cause: Could be project limits or account issues.

Solutions:

1. Limits: Check Hetzner project limits (new accounts have restrictions)
2. Payment: Verify payment method is valid
3. Location: Try a different datacenter location
4. Server Type: Some types may be unavailable - try another

"Wrong project" - Servers Not Visible

Cause: Token was created in a different project.

Solution:

1. Hetzner tokens are project-specific
2. Verify you're in the correct project in Hetzner Console
3. Create a new token in the correct project

DNS Not Working

Cause: Hetzner Cloud tokens don't work for DNS.

Solution:

1. Understand that Hetzner DNS is a separate service
2. Go to dns.hetzner.com (opens in a new tab) for DNS management
3. Use a different DNS provider in OEC.sh (Cloudflare, Route53, etc.)

Why Choose Hetzner?

Advantages

• Price: 50-70% cheaper than AWS/Azure for similar specs
• Performance: High-quality hardware, NVMe storage
• European: GDPR-compliant, German company
• Simple: Easy to use, no complex IAM
• Sustainable: Carbon-neutral datacenter operations

Considerations

• Compute only (need separate DNS/storage providers)
• Fewer locations than hyperscalers
• No managed services (RDS, etc.)

Cost Considerations

Hetzner charges:

Hetzner is one of the most cost-effective cloud providers - perfect for Odoo deployments where you want great performance without enterprise cloud costs.

Next Steps

• Provision your first Hetzner server
• Set up backup storage (use Cloudflare R2 or Backblaze)
• Configure DNS (use Cloudflare or other provider)