# How to Create or Delete a Custom Template

Machines are Linux and Windows virtual machines with persistent storage, GPU options, and free unlimited bandwidth. They’re designed for high-performance computing (HPC) workloads.

[Custom templates](https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/paperspace/machines/details/features/index.html.md#custom-templates) are templates of your machines and their configurations. You can use these custom templates to [create new machines](https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/paperspace/machines/how-to/create/index.html.md) with your specifications. You can create or delete custom templates using the [Paperspace console](https://console.paperspace.com), [Paperspace API](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/paperspace/api-reference/index.html.md), or [Paperspace CLI](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/paperspace/pspace/index.html.md).

Before creating a custom template, [take a snapshot of your machine](https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/paperspace/machines/how-to/manage-snapshots/index.html.md) to use as a backup. You can revert to this backup in case your machine malfunctions or disconnects from Paperspace during the custom template process.

**Note**: To create custom templates of machines created before August 2022, you need to [connect to the machine](https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/paperspace/machines/how-to/connect/index.html.md), open a terminal, and run the `/usr/local/bin/paperspace-create-template.sh` script to prepare the machine for template creation. After running the script, the machine becomes unusable, and you can follow the rest of the regular process for creating a custom template.

## Create a Custom Template

Before you create a custom template, you must [turn off your machine](https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/paperspace/machines/getting-started/quickstart/index.html.md#shutdown-or-restart-machines). Optionally, on machines created after August 2022, you can run the `/usr/local/bin/paperspace-create-template.sh` script to clean up customization and command history.

### Using the Paperspace Console

To create a custom template, go to the [Paperspace console](https://console.paperspace.com), in the top-left corner, click the drop-down menu, select **CORE**, click **Machines** tab, then find and select the machine you want to create a custom template of.

On the machine’s overview page, click the **Templates** tab to go to the **Templates** page. In the **Create a Template** section, click **CREATE TEMPLATE**. In the window that opens, optionally customize the template’s name, and click **CREATE TEMPLATE** to start the creation process.

When the custom template is ready, you can view it on the **Templates** page in the **Templates** section.

### Using the Paperspace API

When creating a custom template using the Paperspace API, you need to provide the following values:

- `name` (string): The name of the custom template.
- `machineId` (string): The ID of the machine you want to create a template of.

## How to Create a Custom Template Using the Paperspace API

1. [Create an API key to authenticate your requests to your Paperspace account](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/paperspace/api-keys/index.html.md) and save it for use.
2. Send a POST request to `https://api.paperspace.com/v1/custom-templates`.

```bash
curl -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PAPERSPACE_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
        "name": "your-template-name",
        "machineId": "psm9u09bwu5i"
      }' \
  "https://api.paperspace.com/v1/custom-templates"
```

### Using the Paperspace CLI

When creating a custom template using the Paperspace CLI, you need to provide the following values:

- `name` (string): The name of the custom template.
- `machine-id` (string): The ID of the machine you want to create a template of.

## How to Create a Custom Template Using the Paperspace CLI

1. [Install `pspace`](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/paperspace/pspace/install/index.html.md), the Paperspace command-line tool.
2. [Create an API key to authenticate your requests to your Paperspace account](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/paperspace/api-keys/index.html.md) and save it for use with `pspace`.
3. Use the API key to grant `pspace` access to your Paperspace account.

```bash
pspace login --api-key your-api-key
```

4. Finally, run `pspace template create -F [flags]`.

```bash
pspace template create -F --name your-template-name --machine-id psm9u09bwu5i
```

## Delete a Custom Template

### Using the Paperspace Console

To delete a custom template, go to the [Paperspace console](https://console.paperspace.com), in the top-left corner, click the drop-down menu, select **CORE**, click **Templates** tab.

In the **Templates** page, find the template you want to delete. In the template you want to delete, in the top-right corner, click **…**, click **Delete**.

### Using the Paperspace API

When deleting a custom template using the Paperspace API, you need to provide the ID of the custom template you want to delete.

## How to Delete a Custom Template Using the Paperspace API

1. [Create an API key to authenticate your requests to your Paperspace account](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/paperspace/api-keys/index.html.md) and save it for use.
2. Send a DELETE request to `https://api.paperspace.com/v1/custom-templates/{template-id}`.

```bash
curl -X DELETE \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PAPERSPACE_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
        "id": "tx98gvxz"
      }' \
  "https://api.paperspace.com/v1/custom-templates/tx98gvxz"
```

### Using the Paperspace CLI

When deleting a custom template using the Paperspace CLI, you need to provide the ID of the custom template you want to delete.

## How to Delete a Custom Template Using the Paperspace CLI

1. [Install `pspace`](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/paperspace/pspace/install/index.html.md), the Paperspace command-line tool.
2. [Create an API key to authenticate your requests to your Paperspace account](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/paperspace/api-keys/index.html.md) and save it for use with `pspace`.
3. Use the API key to grant `pspace` access to your Paperspace account.

```bash
pspace login --api-key your-api-key
```

4. Finally, run `pspace template delete <template-id>`.

```bash
pspace template delete tx98gvxz
```