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Typical Client Workflow

This guide outlines the journey from initial registration to successful automated procurement with CloudCO.

1. Registration & Account Setup​

Register for your CloudCO account. We recommend starting with the Professional Tier to unlock the full power of the Sniper Engine.

2. Secure Provider Connection​

Go to Settings → Providers and follow Connecting providers for each cloud account (Hetzner Robot, OVH EU/CA, DigitalOcean, Vultr).

  • API Credentials: Provide your Hetzner Robot API username and password.
  • Security First: Your credentials are encrypted and used only for provider operations you enable.

3. Configuring Notifications​

Before activating rules, go to Settings > Notifications to configure your alert channels.

  • Alert Channels: Enable Email or link a Slack Webhook for instant team notifications.
  • Alert Preferences: Set your preferred notification behavior to control alert frequency for manual rules.

4. Defining Sniper Rules​

In the Sniper Hub, create your first procurement rule:

  • Hardware Specs: Define minimum CPU cores, RAM, and storage requirements.
  • Price Target: Set the maximum price (Net) you are willing to pay.
  • Auto-Buy: Enable this for maximum speed. If disabled, we will only notify you when a match is found.
  • Rule Management: You can pause, resume, or delete rules at any time.

4. The Sniper Loop​

Once your rule is active, CloudCO monitors matching inventory and checks your criteria continuously.

  • The Match: When a server matches your specs and price target, the engine triggers your configured action.
  • The Result: If successful, the server is reserved in your provider account.

5. Handover & Savings​

When a snipe is successful:

  • Provisioning: The server is immediately available in your Hetzner account.
  • Confirmation: You receive an instant notification with the server's IP and access details.
  • Analytics: View your dashboard to see your "Total Cost Savings" realized through automated procurement.

6. Managing Your Snipe History​

Every successful snipe (rule-driven or Direct Snipe) appears under Recent Snipes. Each row supports:

  • TERMINATE — destroys the server on the provider (irreversible). Works across Hetzner, OVH, DigitalOcean, and Vultr; OVH adds an email-confirmation step.
  • REMOVE — clears the row from your CloudCO history only. Use this when you've already cancelled the server on the provider's own dashboard.

A coloured STOP SNIPE / START SNIPE button in the sidebar (visible on every dashboard page) is the emergency "pause everything" toggle: a red STOP SNIPE when any rule is active (one click pauses every active rule), and a green START SNIPE when there are rules still paused by the kill switch (one click resumes them). It never touches existing servers, billing, history, or rules you paused manually on the Snipes page.

See Managing your snipes for per-provider behaviour, status outcomes, the STOP SNIPE / START SNIPE toggle, and common scenarios.