Use DigitalOcean’s official doctl command-line interface to authenticate to your account, discover current Droplet options, and create or manage Droplets through the DigitalOcean API. Start by installing and authenticating doctl, then query current regions, sizes, and images before you provision anything; these options can change over time.
What doctl does—and what you need first
DigitalOcean describes doctl as its official command-line interface. It communicates with the DigitalOcean API and supports most Control Panel functionality. DigitalOcean provides installations for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The current installation and configuration instructions are in the doctl CLI documentation.
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Before using it, you need a DigitalOcean account and a personal access token. Treat that token like a password: do not put a real token in a tutorial, shell command you plan to share, source repository, or screenshot. The authentication and creation workflow is covered in DigitalOcean’s Droplet creation guide.
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Install and authenticate doctl
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Install
doctlfor your operating system by following DigitalOcean’s current installation instructions. Use the official documentation for the appropriate package or installation method.#1 Best Overall
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Create a personal access token in your DigitalOcean account. Grant only the access needed for the operations you intend to perform, and store the token securely.
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In a terminal, run
doctl auth initand follow the prompt to authenticate with the token. Do not paste the token into a public command example or save it in a script that others can access. -
Check available command groups and options with
doctl compute --helpor the help for a specific command. CLI syntax and resource options can change; consult the current doctl command reference when an option is unclear.PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
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Find valid regions, sizes, and images
Do not rely on an old copied size or image slug. Before creating a Droplet, query the values currently available to your account:
doctl compute region listlists regions.doctl compute size listlists Droplet sizes.doctl compute image list-distributionlists distribution images.
Choose an image that fits the operating system or software workload, a size with suitable capacity, and a region appropriate for your deployment. Availability and slugs may vary, so use the results from your own account rather than treating an example as evergreen.
Create a Droplet
The basic command form documented by DigitalOcean is:
doctl compute droplet create <droplet-name> --size <size-slug> --image <image-slug> --region <region-slug>
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For authentication to the Droplet itself, DigitalOcean says SSH-key authentication is more secure than password authentication. Decide how you will access and maintain the server before provisioning it, and keep private keys private. Other setup decisions—such as backups, monitoring, IPv6, private networking, tags, and firewall attachment—depend on the workload. Backups add cost, so check the current pricing and backup options before enabling them.
Inspect, operate, and destroy Droplets
Use the current command reference or doctl compute --help to identify commands for listing and retrieving Droplets and for actions such as rebooting, snapshots, and backup-related operations. DigitalOcean’s Droplet API reference documents the underlying resource operations.
Separate routine inspection from changes that interrupt service or delete data. Listing or retrieving a Droplet is observational; rebooting interrupts workloads; destroying a Droplet is destructive. Before running a destroy command, verify the target identifier and confirm that anything you need has been backed up or moved. Read the command’s current help output before executing an operation that changes or removes a resource.
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Resize a Droplet safely
DigitalOcean’s resize guidance calls for shutting down the Droplet, performing the resize, and powering it back on. The documented approach recommends shutting down from inside the guest operating system first to reduce data-corruption risk:
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Connect to the Droplet and run
sudo shutdown -h nowto shut down the operating system cleanly. Ensure services have stopped and important data is saved. -
After the Droplet is off, use the documented
doctlpower-off and resize actions with a current size slug. Follow the current Droplet resize guide for exact syntax. -
Power the Droplet back on using the documented CLI action, then verify that it boots and that its services work as expected.
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Do not treat --resize-disk=true as a harmless default. A disk resize changes disk capacity, and whether a resize direction is supported depends on the selected option. Check the current guide and the consequences for your Droplet before including that flag.
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Apply Cloud Firewall rules deliberately
DigitalOcean Cloud Firewalls are stateful, network-based firewalls for Droplets. They block traffic unless a rule expressly allows it. Create inbound and outbound rules for the ports and sources the service actually needs; avoid broad access rules unless the workload requires them. DigitalOcean’s guides explain creating a Cloud Firewall and managing one.
When attaching a firewall, confirm that it applies to the intended Droplets. The management documentation describes listing Droplet IDs and using doctl compute firewall add-droplets or doctl compute firewall remove-droplets to change attachment. Use IDs or supported tags deliberately, then verify the resulting association and rules.
Common command-line management mistakes
- A copied create command fails: a region, size, or image slug may no longer be available. Re-run the region, size, and distribution-image listing commands and use a current result.
- Authentication fails: check that
doctl auth initcompleted and that the token is valid and has the access needed for the operation. Do not disclose the token while troubleshooting. - A service becomes unreachable after firewall changes: Cloud Firewalls deny traffic without an allowing rule. Check the required inbound and outbound ports, sources, and Droplet attachment.
- A resize does not proceed as expected: confirm that the Droplet was cleanly shut down, use the current resize workflow, and review disk-resize implications before setting
--resize-disk=true. - A destructive command targets the wrong server: stop before execution and verify the Droplet ID and account context. Prefer an inspection step before any destroy operation.
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