# vps9 CLI cheat sheet

> Every vps9 command on one page, by task: servers, SSH, snapshots, the firewall, rDNS, rescue, keys, billing, tickets, JSON and scripting.

Source: https://vpsnine.com/help/vps9-cli-cheat-sheet · Updated: 2026-10-21

This is every `vps9` command on one page, grouped by what you want to do. `<server>` is always a hostname or a server id (`srv_…`), and every command takes `--json` for output a script can read.

## What you need

- `vps9` installed and logged in: [Install the vps9 command-line tool](https://vpsnine.com/help/install-the-vps9-cli).
- A read-and-write [API token](https://vpsnine.com/help/api-tokens) for anything that changes something; read-only is enough for the listing commands.

## Log in and look around

| Command | Does |
| --- | --- |
| `vps9 init --token-file ~/.vps9-token` | Log in and offer to add your SSH public key, step by step |
| `vps9 login < ~/.vps9-token` | Check a token and save it |
| `vps9 logout` | Forget the saved token (revoke it in the panel too if it leaked) |
| `vps9 whoami` | The account the token belongs to |
| `vps9 status` | Service status, no login needed |
| `vps9 prices` | Plans and add-ons, monthly and yearly, no login needed |
| `vps9 images` | The images `--image` takes |
| `vps9 apps` | The one-click apps `--app` takes |
| `vps9 open [<server>] [--print]` | Open the panel, or a server's page, in your browser |
| `vps9 help` | The full usage |
| `vps9 version` | The version you have |

## Servers

| Command | Does |
| --- | --- |
| `vps9 servers` | List your servers: id, hostname, state, IPv4, plan |
| `vps9 servers show <server>` | One server, its tags and its recent events |
| `vps9 servers start <server>` | Start it (also `stop`, `reboot`) |
| `vps9 servers label <server> "Website" --tags prod,web` | Set its display name and tags (`--notes-file F` for notes, `--clear` to clear) |
| `vps9 servers create --plan budget --image debian-12 --hostname web-2 --key key_…` | Order a server (see the options below) |
| `vps9 servers reinstall <server> [--image ubuntu-24.04]` | Wipe and reinstall; asks you to type the hostname |
| `vps9 servers delete <server>` | Delete it for good; asks you to type the hostname |
| `vps9 servers addons <server>` | Its add-ons now and at the next renewal |
| `vps9 servers addons <server> set --ram-gb 2 --apply reboot` | Change add-ons; asks before it invoices |

Options for `servers create`: `--key ID` (repeat it), `--app ID`, `--package NAME` (repeat it) or `--packages a,b`, `--setup-script FILE` ([setup scripts](https://vpsnine.com/help/setup-scripts)), `--term month|year`, `--vcpu N`, `--ram-gb N`, `--disk-gb N`, `--transfer-tb N`, `--ipv4 N`, `--root-password generate` or `--root-password-file FILE`, and `--idempotency-key K` ([why](https://vpsnine.com/help/idempotent-orders-with-idempotency-key)). `servers reinstall` takes `--image`, `--app ID` or `--no-app`, `--package`, `--setup-script` and the root password options.

## SSH

| Command | Does |
| --- | --- |
| `vps9 ssh <server>` | Run your own `ssh` as `root@` the server's IPv4 |
| `vps9 ssh --user deploy <server>` | Log in as another user (flags go before the server) |
| `vps9 ssh <server> -- -L 8080:localhost:80` | Pass options to `ssh` after `--` |

## Snapshots

| Command | Does |
| --- | --- |
| `vps9 snapshots <server>` | List its snapshots: id, name, manual or automatic, state |
| `vps9 snapshots <server> create before-upgrade` | Take one (a running server shuts down for about a minute) |
| `vps9 snapshots <server> revert before-upgrade` | Go back to it; asks you to type the hostname |
| `vps9 snapshots <server> rm before-upgrade` | Delete it; asks you to type the hostname |
| `vps9 snapshots <server> schedule daily --at 3 --tz Europe/Berlin --keep 3` | Automatic snapshots (`weekly --day sun` too) |
| `vps9 snapshots <server> schedule` | Show the schedule |
| `vps9 snapshots <server> schedule off` | Turn automatic snapshots off (taken ones are kept) |

A server keeps 3 snapshots you take yourself, plus up to 4 automatic ones. [Automate snapshots before risky changes](https://vpsnine.com/tutorials/automate-snapshots-before-risky-changes-cli) wraps these into one command.

## Firewall

| Command | Does |
| --- | --- |
| `vps9 firewall <server>` | The rules, numbered, and whether they're applied |
| `vps9 firewall <server> allow tcp 22 from 198.51.100.0/24` | Add a rule (`deny`, and `udp`, `icmp`, `any` too) |
| `vps9 firewall <server> allow tcp 8000-8100` | A port range, from anywhere |
| `vps9 firewall <server> rm 2` | Remove rule 2 |
| `vps9 firewall <server> policy deny` | Drop anything no rule allows |
| `vps9 firewall <server> set rules.json --policy deny` | Replace every rule from a file (`-` reads stdin) |

Each change saves with the version it read, so it never overwrites someone else's edit. The [panel firewall guide](https://vpsnine.com/help/server-firewall) explains the rules.

## Reverse DNS, rescue, keys

| Command | Does |
| --- | --- |
| `vps9 rdns <server>` | Reverse DNS for each address |
| `vps9 rdns <server> set 203.0.113.10 mail.example.com` | Set it (the name must already resolve to the address) |
| `vps9 rdns <server> rm 203.0.113.10` | Clear it |
| `vps9 rescue on <server>` | Boot into [rescue mode](https://vpsnine.com/help/rescue-mode); prints a one-time root password |
| `vps9 rescue status <server>` | Where rescue stands |
| `vps9 rescue off <server>` | Boot from its own disk again |
| `vps9 keys` | Your SSH keys |
| `vps9 keys add laptop ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub` | Add one (`-` reads stdin) |
| `vps9 keys rm laptop` | Remove one; asks you to type its name |

## Billing and invoices

| Command | Does |
| --- | --- |
| `vps9 billing` | Your credit, what is due in the next 30 days, each server's next charge and your open invoices (`vps9 billing upcoming` too) |
| `vps9 billing credit` | Credit movements, newest first, with the balance after each (`--limit 500` for more) |
| `vps9 billing topup 25` | [Add funds](https://vpsnine.com/help/add-funds): makes a $25.00 top-up invoice and prints its checkout link (`--method paypal` or `btcpay`) |
| `vps9 billing profile` | The name, address and VAT or tax ID your invoices are made out to |
| `vps9 billing profile set --company "Acme Ltd" --tax-id GB123456789` | Change only the fields you give (`--name`, `--address1`, `--address2`, `--city`, `--region`, `--postal-code`, `--country`) |
| `vps9 billing redeem GIFT-7K2M-Q9XD-4HNP-R3TB` | Redeem a gift card into account credit |
| `vps9 invoices` | Your invoices, newest first |
| `vps9 invoices show VPS9-000042` | One invoice with its lines |

## Tickets

| Command | Does |
| --- | --- |
| `vps9 tickets` | Your support tickets |
| `vps9 tickets open --subject "Port 25" --category technical --server web-1 "message"` | Open one (`-` reads the message from stdin) |
| `vps9 tickets show <id>` | One ticket |
| `vps9 tickets reply <id> "message"` | Reply |
| `vps9 tickets close <id>` | Close it |

## Scripting

| Use | How |
| --- | --- |
| JSON instead of a table | `vps9 --json servers` (lists print the array) |
| No questions | `--yes` (destructive commands otherwise ask for the hostname) |
| Another token | `VPS9_TOKEN=vps9_… vps9 servers` (wins over the saved login) |
| Tab completion | `source <(vps9 completion bash)` (also `zsh`, `fish`, `powershell`) |

With `jq`, the running servers' IPv4 addresses, and a loop that waits until a server's action has finished:

```bash
vps9 --json servers | jq -r '.[] | select(.state == "running") | .ipv4'
until [ "$(vps9 --json servers show web-1 | jq -r .pendingAction)" = "null" ]; do sleep 5; done
```

Exit codes: `0` worked, `1` failed (the API's message and request id go to stderr), `2` the command line was wrong.

## Check it worked

```bash
vps9 whoami && vps9 servers
```

Your email, then a table of your servers, means the token and the API address are right.

## Troubleshooting

**`vps9: not logged in: run vps9 login (or set VPS9_TOKEN)`.** There's no saved token and no `VPS9_TOKEN`. Run `vps9 login < ~/.vps9-token`.

**`vps9: This token does not have the write scope.`** The token is read-only. Make a read-and-write one for commands that change things.

**`vps9: no server named "web-1"`.** No server on this account has that hostname. `vps9 servers` lists the names; on a team, `vps9 whoami` shows which account the token acts on.

**`vps9: Too many requests: 60 a minute per token`.** A loop is calling too fast; each command makes one to three requests. See [Rate limits and request ids](https://vpsnine.com/help/api-rate-limits-and-request-ids).

## Doing it on VPSNine

Every command here works on the [plans](https://vpsnine.com/plans) you can order, and the [developer hub](https://vpsnine.com/help/developers) links the API and SDK that the CLI is built on.