Updated on 2026-09-21 GMT+08:00

Overview

When manually creating an ECS, you need to configure various parameters one by one, which can be complex and lead to inconsistent configurations across different environments. Launch templates allow you to pre-save ECS configuration parameters so you do not need to reconfigure them during creation. This helps you create ECSs efficiently, flexibly, and consistently.

What Is a Launch Template?

A launch template is a configuration template used to quickly create ECSs. It can save the configurations used during ECS creation, including the billing mode, region and AZ, instance specifications, image, system and data disks, network, and key pair (excluding the password).

You can use a specified launch template to quickly create ECSs by reusing the parameters saved in the template. This helps reduce manual configurations and save time.

A launch template cannot be modified once it is created. You can create multiple launch templates and configure different parameters for each template as needed.

Advantages of Launch Templates

Improved instance creation efficiency: You can use the preset configurations in a launch template to quickly create ECSs, without the need to repeatedly specify parameters manually.
Flexible instance configuration adjustment: When using a launch template to create instances, you can adjust the instance configurations or add parameters that are not preset in the template. The adjustment takes effect only for the instances being created and does not modify the preset configurations in the launch template.
Consistent instance configurations: Instances created using the same launch template have consistent configurations, reducing configuration errors caused by manual operations.
Automatic batch delivery: Launch templates can be used as the configuration source for auto launch groups to implement automatic batch delivery of ECS clusters.

Scenarios

Standardized service environment deployment: When rolling out new services or iterating environments, you can use launch templates to standardize configurations and quickly set up unified development, testing, and production environments. This ensures consistent environments and smooth service rollout. For details, see Using a Launch Template to Purchase ECSs (On the Launch Templates Page).
Quick deployment of instances in batches: This is useful for scenarios such as unexpected service expansion and stress testing. You can use a template to create ECSs with the same configurations in batches, improving deployment efficiency.
Automatic batch delivery of compute resources: When used with an auto launch group, a launch template serves as the unified configuration baseline to automatically deliver ECS compute resources across AZs in batches, suitable for high-concurrency and large-scale compute service scenarios. For details, see Creating an Auto Launch Group.

Billing

Launch templates are free, but ECSs created using them are billed normally.

For details about billing rules, see Billing Modes. For details about prices, see ECS Product Pricing Details.

Operation Guide for Launch Templates

**Table 1** Common operations on launch templates
Scenario	Description	Reference
Creating a launch template	If the current template cannot meet your service requirements, you can create a new one.	Creating a Launch Template
Viewing launch template details	You can view details about a launch template.	Viewing Details About a Launch Template
Deleting a launch template	If you no longer need a launch template, you can delete it.	Deleting a Launch Template
Creating ECSs	You can use a launch template to quickly create ECSs, saving time on repeatedly configuring parameters.	Using a Launch Template to Purchase ECSs (On the Buy ECS Page)
Creating ECSs		Using a Launch Template to Purchase ECSs (On the Launch Templates Page)
Creating an auto launch group	When creating an auto launch group, you need to select a launch template as the configuration source.	Creating an Auto Launch Group

Parent Topic: Launch Templates