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This guide walks you through creating an account, adding funds, and launching your first GPU-powered virtual machine — all from the web console.

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Prerequisites

  • An email address or Google account
  • A credit card for adding credits

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Step 1: Create Your Account

  1. Go to console.nova-cloud.ai/signup
  2. Sign up with email/password or Google OAuth
  3. Verify your email to receive a $1 bonus (automatic on Google Sign in)
Nova Cloud signup page with email and Google sign-in options

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Step 2: Add Credits & Unlock Your Signup Bonus

  1. In the console, go to the Billing section
  2. Click Add Credits
  3. Add at least $5 via credit card
  4. Your $15 signup bonus is automatically applied once the deposit clears
Add Credits window showing amount selection and payment options
The $15 signup bonus is unlocked when you make your first deposit of at least $5. Combined with the $1 email verification bonus, you’ll have $21+ to get started.

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Step 3: Generate & Upload Your SSH Key

SSH keys let you securely connect to your VMs without a password. If you already have an SSH key, skip to Upload Your Key below.
We highly reccomend using SSH keys for authentication, however we do support password authentication. If you would rather use a strong password, you can skip to step 4
  1. Open the Terminal app (search for “Terminal” in Spotlight, or find it in Applications → Utilities)
  2. Paste this command and press Enter:
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-email@example.com"
  1. When asked where to save the file, just press Enter to use the default location
  2. When asked for a passphrase, press Enter twice (or type a passphrase for extra security)
  3. Copy your public key to the clipboard:
pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
You’ll see no output — the key is now on your clipboard, ready to paste.

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Upload Your Key

  1. In the console, go to Account Settings → SSH Keys
  2. Click Add SSH Key
  3. Paste your public key (the text you just copied)
  4. Give it a name like “My Laptop”
  5. Click Save
SSH key upload form in Account Settings

Need more help with SSH keys?

Detailed guide with troubleshooting tips for all platforms.

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Step 4: Launch a VM

  1. Go to the Dashboard and browse available GPU offers
  2. Find a GPU that fits your needs (e.g., RTX 5090, RTX 4090)
  3. Click Create Instance on the offer
  4. Configure your instance:
    • Rental type — On-demand (recommended for your first VM)
    • Template — Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 (or choose a pre-configured template with WebUI access)
    • Storage — Choose your disk size (Minimum 50GB)
    • Authentication — Select your SSH key or choose a strong password to log into your instance with
  5. Review the pricing estimate and click Create
  6. Wait 1–10 minutes for provisioning to complete
Create instance page showing configuration options and cost estimate
Not sure which rental type to pick? Start with On-demand — you can stop it anytime with no commitment. See the Rental Types guide to learn about saving money with interruptible and reserved instances.

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Step 5: Connect to Your VM

Once your VM status shows Running in the dashboard:
Running instance card with Connect button highlighted
Open a terminal and run:
ssh ubuntu@<your-vm-ip-address>
Replace <your-vm-ip-address> with the IP shown in your console dashboard.If this is your first time connecting, you’ll be asked to confirm the server fingerprint — type yes and press Enter.

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Step 6: Stop or Destroy When Done

When you’re finished, you have two options:

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Stop Your VM (Pause GPU Billing)

Click Stop on your instance in the dashboard. This pauses GPU billing while keeping your data intact. Storage charges continue at a small rate.

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Destroy Your VM (Stop All Billing)

Click Destroy to permanently delete the VM and stop all billing.
Destroying a VM is irreversible. All data on the VM will be permanently deleted. Make sure you’ve saved anything important before destroying.

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What’s Next?

Choosing a GPU

Browse the marketplace and pick the right GPU for your workload.

Connecting to an Instance

Access your VM via SSH or the browser-based WebUI portal.

Instance Ports

Open ports for Jupyter, APIs, and other web services.

Rental Types

Learn how to save money with interruptible and reserved instances.

Billing

Understand pricing, auto billing, and what happens at zero balance.

API Reference

Automate your workflow with the Nova Cloud REST API.