Connect your Exoscale account

Updated October 7, 2026 · 3 min read

Create an Exoscale API key with access to compute, connect it to Nuvlo, and create your first server in a European zone.

On this page

Step 1: Create an IAM role
Step 2: Create an API key
Step 3: Open Server providers in Nuvlo
Step 4: Enter the key and secret
Step 5: Check that the account is connected
Step 6: Create your first Exoscale server
Good to know
Troubleshooting

Before you start

An Exoscale organization with a payment method or credit.
Permission in the Exoscale portal to create IAM roles and API keys.
A Nuvlo account where you are the owner, an admin or a developer. Viewers can’t connect providers. See roles and permissions.

Step 1 Create an IAM role

Every Exoscale API key gets its permissions from a role, and a key’s role can’t be changed later. Create the role first.

In the Exoscale portal, open IAM → Roles and choose Add. Name the role, for example nuvlo.

Nuvlo only uses the compute service: instances, instance types, templates, security groups, snapshots and zones. For the narrowest role, set the default service strategy to deny and allow only the compute service. A role without restrictions also works, but its key can then do everything in your organization.

Step 2 Create an API key

Open IAM → Keys and choose Add. Name the key, select the role from step 1 and choose Create.

Copy the API key (it starts with EXO) and its secret. Exoscale shows the secret only once. If you lose it, create a new key and replace it in Nuvlo with Manage.

Step 3 Open Server providers in Nuvlo

In Nuvlo, open Integrations → Server providers (go there). Choose Add provider, then Exoscale.

The Add provider dialog with Exoscale among the providers

Step 4 Enter the key and secret

Optionally enter an Account label. Paste the key into API key and the secret into API secret, then choose Connect account. Nuvlo checks the key with Exoscale before it saves it.

The Connect Exoscale dialog with the API key and API secret fields

Step 5 Check that the account is connected

The account appears under Connected accounts with the status Not in use until your first server is linked to it.

The Connected accounts table with a provider account, its status and the Manage button

Step 6 Create your first Exoscale server

Open Servers and create a server (start here). Choose Exoscale and your account, then choose what you will host.

On Region & plan, pick a zone and an instance type. The list comes from your Exoscale account, so it shows only the types your organization can use. Prices are in euros and include a 50 GB disk.

Finish the remaining steps and choose Create server. See Create a server.

Good to know

Topic	On Exoscale
Zones	All in Europe: Geneva, Zurich, Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna (two zones), Sofia and Zagreb.
Network	Nuvlo creates a security group named `nuvlo` in each zone it uses. It opens SSH, HTTP and HTTPS (ports 22, 80 and 443).
Billing	Per second, with no monthly cap.
Resize	Standard, CPU-optimized and memory-optimized types can be mixed; other families stay within their family. The IP stays the same. See Resize a server.
Snapshots	Restored over the server. See Server snapshots.
Delete	The server and its disk are deleted at Exoscale right away. Snapshots stay until you delete them.

Troubleshooting

You see	What to do
The provider rejected this key	Check that you copied the key and the secret into the right fields, and that the key’s role allows the compute service.
No plans available. on Region & plan	The key’s role doesn’t allow listing instance types. Create a key with a role that allows the compute service.
Exoscale API error: 403	The key’s role blocks something Nuvlo needs. A key’s role can’t be changed, so create a new key with a role that allows compute, and replace it with Manage.