---
title: Create and manage Instance groups
description: This page explains how to create and manage Instance groups for Scaleway Instances.
tags: instance group autoscaling
dates:
  validation: 2026-08-12
  posted: 2026-08-12
---
import Requirements from '@macros/iam/requirements.mdx'

An [Instance group](/instances/concepts/#instance-group) is a collection of identical Instances, created from an [Instance template](/instances/concepts/#instance-template) and managed together. A group can run at a fixed size for predictable workloads, or scale automatically between a minimum and maximum number of Instances based on usage metrics.

When you attach a Load Balancer to an Instance group, Scaleway keeps its backend up to date as the group scales, and can automatically replace Instances that fail their health check.

<Message type="important">
  Instance groups are currently in [Public Beta](https://www.scaleway.com/en/betas/). Features and the user interface may change.
</Message>

<Requirements />

- A Scaleway account logged in to the [console](https://console.scaleway.com)
- [Owner](/iam/concepts/#owner) status or [IAM permissions](/iam/concepts/#permission) allowing you to perform actions in the intended Organization
- An [Instance template](/instances/how-to/create-manage-instance-templates/) with a CPU-only configuration

## Understanding Instance group permissions

Instance group actions rely on the same [permission sets](/iam/reference-content/permission-sets/) as standalone Instances: `InstancesReadOnly` and `InstancesFullAccess`.

Attaching or editing a Load Balancer or Private Network for an Instance group also requires the corresponding `LoadBalancersFullAccess` and/or `PrivateNetworksFullAccess` permission sets.

With `InstancesReadOnly`, you can:

- View the list of Instance groups, and open the **Overview**, **Instances**, **Logs**, and **Settings** tabs of a group.
- Filter and sort the Instance groups list.
- Copy IDs and other information displayed on the pages of a group.
- Close banners and alerts.
- Switch between Availability Zones or Regions.

With `InstancesReadOnly` alone, you cannot:

- Open the Instance group creation wizard or the **Edit settings** form.
- Create an Instance group or an Instance template.
- Edit an Instance group settings, or delete an Instance group or one of its Instances.

To perform these actions, you need the `InstancesFullAccess` permission set, or broader access such as [Owner](/iam/concepts/#owner) status.

## Create an Instance group

You can start the Instance group creation wizard from 3 places in the console: the **Groups** tab, the **Templates** tab, or the Overview page of an Instance template.

1. In the **Compute** section of the side menu, click **CPU & GPU Instances**. The [Instances dashboard](https://console.scaleway.com/instance/servers) opens.
2. Open the creation wizard using one of the following methods:
    - Click the **Groups** tab, then click **Create Instance group**.
    - Click the **Templates** tab, click <Icon name="more" /> next to the template you want to use, then click **Create Instance group**.
    - Click the **Templates** tab, click the name of the template you want to use, then in the **Instance groups** section of its **Overview** page, click **Create Instance group**.

    <Message type="tip">
      You can also access this wizard right after creating a new Instance template: in the dialog box, click **Create Instance group** instead of **Skip for now**.
    </Message>

3. Enter a **name** for your Instance group, or keep the randomly-generated name. Optionally, add [tags](/instances/concepts/#tags).
4. Select the **Availability Zone** and the **Instance template** to use. Every Instance in the group is created from this template.<br/>
    The console supports CPU-only Instance templates for Instance groups. GPU templates are available via the API or CLI, in fixed-size or autoscaling mode. However, autoscaling is not yet effective for GPU-based groups, since the currently supported metrics — CPU and RAM usage — are not meaningful for GPU workloads.

5. Under **Choose capacity management**, select whether the group runs at a fixed size or uses autoscaling, and configure the corresponding settings. See [Choose capacity management](#choose-capacity-management) for details.
6. (Optional) Enable **Use Load Balancer for traffic routing** to register the Instances of the group as backend servers and enable autohealing. See [Configure a Load Balancer for traffic routing and autohealing](#configure-a-load-balancer-for-traffic-routing-and-autohealing) for details.
7. Check the **Environment footprint details**.
8. In **Summary**, review the estimated cost of your Instance group.
9. Read and accept the Scaleway terms and conditions, then click **Create Instance group**.

Your Instance group is created, and you are taken to its **Overview** tab, where its Instances begin provisioning.

### Choose capacity management

An Instance group runs in either fixed size or autoscaling capacity mode. Both modes rely on horizontal scaling (adjusting how many Instances are running) rather than vertical scaling (resizing the resources of an existing Instance).

You choose the mode when you create the group, and can switch between modes later from the group **Settings** tab.

#### Fixed size

A fixed-size group always runs the same number of Instances, making it best suited to predictable workloads. Since it never automatically reduces its Instance count, you must stop its Instances manually to avoid billing costs during periods when you do not need the fleet.

- **Number of Instances**: set how many Instances the group runs. You can set between 1 and 50 Instances.

#### Autoscaling

An autoscaling group dynamically adjusts its Instance count between a minimum and maximum value, based on the usage thresholds you define. This mode is best suited to unpredictable workloads.

- **Minimum Instance count** and **Maximum Instance count**: set the scaling range for the group (between 1 and 50 Instances).<br/><br/>

- **Scaling targets**: for each metric, set a **Target usage** percentage. This target represents the usage level the group aims to maintain, not a strict on/off threshold. The group uses this target to calculate how many Instances it needs. A scaling event only happens when this calculation changes the number of Instances.<br/>

      For this reason, usage can stay above or below the target without triggering any change. For example, a group can stay stable at 82% usage with an 80% target, or at 70% with the same target, if the number of Instances stays the same, or if a cooldown period from a previous scaling event is still active.<br/>
      Click **Add metric** to monitor an additional metric, or click <Icon name="delete" /> next to a metric to remove it.

      <Message type="note">
        CPU usage and RAM usage are the only metrics currently supported in the console. When you set several metrics, the group scales to the maximum Instance count required by any of them.
      </Message>

- **Scaling behavior**: configure how the group reacts for each scaling event.
    - **Scale out**: set how many Instances to add when scaling out.
    - **Scale in**: set how many Instances to remove when scaling in.
    - **Cooldown period**: set how long the group waits after a scaling event before it can scale again. This gives new Instances time to start and stabilize before further scaling changes occur, so set it long enough to ensure they are ready to serve traffic.

### Configure a Load Balancer for traffic routing and autohealing

Attaching a Load Balancer to an Instance group lets Scaleway automatically register the Instances of the group as backend servers, and route traffic to them as the group scales.

1. In the Instance group creation wizard, or from the **Settings** tab of the group, enable **Use Load Balancer for traffic routing**.
2. Select an existing **Load Balancer**.<br/>
    Only Load Balancers in the same Availability Zone as your Instance group are available for selection. Make sure the Load Balancer you select has enough capacity and quota for the Instances of your group.<br/>
    Creating a Load Balancer from the Instance group flow is not supported. [Create a Load Balancer](/load-balancer/how-to/create-load-balancer/) beforehand if you do not have one yet.
3. For each backend, select the **Network** and **IP type** to use to route traffic to your Instances.
4. (Optional) Enable **Autohealing**. If a backend server fails its health check, the Instance group automatically replaces it.<br/>
    You cannot enable autohealing on an Instance group that does not have a Load Balancer configured for traffic routing.

While a Load Balancer or one of its backends is in use by an Instance group, the **Delete** action is disabled on the Load Balancer pages. Attach a different Load Balancer to the group before you can delete the one currently in use.

## Manage an Instance group

Each Instance group has the following tabs: **Overview**, **Instances**, **Logs**, and **Settings**.

### View Instance group information

The **Overview** tab of an Instance group shows its status (Stable, Scaling up, Scaling down, or an error status), its Instance group ID, creation date, and Availability Zone, along with the following:
 
- **Instance template** used to create the group, and its ID.
- **Capacity management** mode, group capacity, scaling thresholds, and cooldown period.
- **Public Network** and **Private Network** information, inherited from the Instance template.
- **Placement group**, if the Instance template includes one.
- **Tags** you assigned to the group.

The placement group and tags inherited from the Instance template cannot be changed from an Instance group. Create a new Instance template with the settings you need, and use it to create a new Instance group.

<Message type="tip">
  If your group displays an error status, such as **Insufficient capacity** or **Insufficient Instance quota**, see [Fix common Instance group errors](/instances/troubleshooting/fix-common-instance-group-errors/).
</Message>

### View and manage the Instances in a group

1. Click the **Instances** tab of your Instance group.
    For an autoscaling group, an **Autoscaling status** card displays the current, minimum, and maximum Instance count, as well as the scaling status of the group.
2. Review the list of Instances belonging to the group.
3. Click <Icon name="more" /> next to an Instance:
    - Click **More info** to open the Instance details.
    - Click **Reboot** to restart the Instance. Confirm by clicking **Reboot Instance** in the dialog box that appears.
    - Click **Delete** to remove the Instance from the group. Optionally, select **Delete associated IPs** and/or **Delete Block Storage volumes**, type **DELETE** to confirm, then click **Delete Instance**.<br/>

    <Message type="important">
      Deleting an Instance is irreversible. The Instance group always provisions a new Instance if the count drops below its configured minimum, regardless of whether autohealing is enabled. Autohealing covers a different case — it automatically replaces an Instance that fails the Load Balancer's health check.
    </Message>

### View Instance group logs

The **Logs** tab of an Instance group gives you access to Scaleway Cockpit, which ingests the metrics and logs of the group.

- Click **Open Grafana logs dashboard** to view and monitor your Instance group logs in a Grafana-managed dashboard.
- Click **Manage custom data with tokens** to create a token and send data from sources other than Scaleway to the same Cockpit.

### Edit Instance group settings

1. Click the **Settings** tab of your Instance group.
2. Review the current **Capacity management** and **Traffic routing & autohealing** configuration.
3. Click **Edit settings**.
4. Update the minimum and maximum Instance count, scaling thresholds, cooldown period, and/or Load Balancer and autohealing configuration as needed.
5. Click **Save settings** to confirm your changes.

### Delete a single Instance group

1. Click the **Groups** tab of the [Instances dashboard](https://console.scaleway.com/instance/servers).
2. Click <Icon name="more" /> next to the Instance group you want to delete, then click **Delete**.
    Alternatively, from the **Overview** or **Settings** tab of the group, click **Actions** > **Delete**.
3. Type **DELETE** to confirm, then click **Delete Instance group**.

<Message type="important">
  Deleting an Instance group also deletes its Instances. Other associated resources, such as IPs, volumes, and Load Balancers, are not deleted automatically — they remain active and continue to be billed. Remove them manually if you no longer need them.
</Message>

### Delete several Instance groups at once

1. Click the **Groups** tab of the [Instances dashboard](https://console.scaleway.com/instance/servers).
2. Select the Instance groups you want to delete.
3. In the selection toolbar that appears, click <Icon name="delete" />.
4. Type **DELETE** to confirm, then click **Delete Instance groups**.