Hetzner Auction Reservation Details

Understanding the mechanics of the Hetzner Auction Sniper is critical for successful server procurement. When CloudCO "reserves" a server for you, it is initiating a binding order on your behalf within your Hetzner Online account.

How it Works

1. Monitoring: CloudCO tracks the Hetzner auction feed continuously.
2. Matching: When a server appears that matches your active rule criteria (CPU, RAM, Price, etc.), the system triggers an execution.
3. Order Execution:
   • Auto-Buy: The system sends an API request for one auction product_id when the first match hits your rule, then completes the rule so it does not continue purchasing other matches. This path applies only to auction listings (product_category: Auction). Standard dedicated/GPU/VM/Storage lines are not ordered through this auction reservation API—see Auto-Buy: providers & categories.
   • Manual: You receive an alert and must click "Snipe Now" in your dashboard to trigger the API request.
   • Direct Snipe: You can click "SNIPE" directly from the Live Product Feed table for any available auction server (Pro tier required). This is a single-shot order — CloudCO sends one reservation request, reports the outcome, and stops. It does not create a rule and will not retry on failure. To watch and retry, use Auto-Buy on a sniper rule instead.
4. Billing: Once successful, the server is added to your Hetzner Robot account. Billing is handled directly by Hetzner according to your existing payment terms.

Why a Snipe Might Fail

Despite a match being found, several factors can prevent a successful reservation:

1. Racing Conditions

Hetzner Auction inventory is competitive. If another buyer reserves the same server first, your reservation can fail because the product_id is no longer available.

2. Account Limits

Hetzner accounts often have a "Server Limit" (e.g., a maximum of 10 or 20 active servers). If your account has reached this limit, Hetzner will reject new automated orders until the limit is increased or existing servers are cancelled.

3. New Account Verification

If your Hetzner account is new or hasn't had a successful payment yet, Hetzner may block automated API orders until a manual verification process (usually involving a small deposit or ID check) is completed.

4. Credential Scope

Your Hetzner Robot API credentials must have "Order" permissions enabled. If you have provided a restricted API user, the reservation attempt will fail with a "Forbidden" error.

Rule Priority and Collision Handling

In a multi-user environment, it is possible for different accounts to have identical or overlapping sniper rules. CloudCO handles these scenarios with a fair "First-Come, First-Served" approach:

1. Fair Processing: When multiple rules match the same server, CloudCO applies deterministic processing to avoid duplicate execution.
2. Duplicate Protection: A single rule will not repeatedly trigger the same action in a short window, reducing accidental over-ordering and notification spam.
3. Provider Finality: Hetzner remains first-come-first-served; if a server is already taken, CloudCO reports it as no longer available.

Ensuring Reliability

To maximize your success rate, CloudCO provides a Provider Connection Status check on your dashboard. This verifies:

• Your credentials are correct.
• Your API user has the necessary permissions to communicate with Hetzner.

We recommend ensuring your Hetzner account has a valid SSH key uploaded, as this is often required for automated provisioning.