Configuring parameters of the VM metadata service

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Yandex Cloud

Updated at July 7, 2026

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You can configure parameters of the VM metadata service when creating or updating the VM.

To configure metadata service parameters for a VM:

CLI

Terraform

API

If you do not have the Yandex Cloud CLI yet, install and initialize it.

The folder used by default is the one specified when creating the CLI profile. To change the default folder, use the yc config set folder-id <folder_ID> command. You can also specify a different folder for any command using --folder-name or --folder-id. If you access a resource by its name, the search will be limited to the default folder. If you access a resource by its ID, the search will be global, i.e., through all folders based on access permissions.

View the description of the CLI command for updating VM parameters:
```
yc compute instance update --help
```
Get a list of VMs in the default folder:
```
yc compute instance list
```
Select ID or NAME of the VM you need.
Define the metadata service settings:
```
yc compute instance update <VM_ID> \
  --metadata-options gce-http-endpoint=enabled
```
Where --metadata-options is the parameter defining the settings of the VM metadata service. The possible values are:
- gce-http-endpoint: Allows you to access metadata using the Google Compute Engine format. It can be either enabled or disabled.
- gce-http-token: Allows you to get the service account IAM token for the VM using Google Compute Engine metadata. It can be either enabled or disabled.
For more information, see VM instance metadata service parameters.

To configure parameters of the VM metadata service when creating the VM, use the --metadata-options parameter in the yc compute instance create command in the same way.

If you do not have Terraform yet, install it and configure the Yandex Cloud provider.

To manage infrastructure using Terraform under a service account or user accounts (a Yandex account, a federated account, or a local user), authenticate using the appropriate method.

With Terraform, you can quickly create a cloud infrastructure in Yandex Cloud and manage it using configuration files. These files store the infrastructure description written in HashiCorp Configuration Language (HCL). If you change the configuration files, Terraform automatically detects which part of your configuration is already deployed, and what should be added or removed.

Terraform is distributed under the Business Source License. The Yandex Cloud provider for Terraform is distributed under the MPL-2.0 license.

For more information about the provider resources, see the guides on the Terraform website or its mirror.

Open the Terraform configuration file and specify the metadata_options parameter in the VM description:
```
...
resource "yandex_compute_instance" "test-vm" {
  ... 
  metadata_options {
    gce_http_endpoint    = 0
    gce_http_token       = 0
  }
  ...
}
...
```
Where:
- yandex_compute_instance: VM description:
  - metadata_options: Metadata parameters:
    - gce_http_endpoint: Allows you to access metadata using the Google Compute Engine format. Possible values: 0, 1 for enabled and 2 for disabled.
    - gce_http_token: Allows you to get the service account IAM token for the VM using Google Compute Engine metadata. Possible values: 0, 1 for enabled and 2 for disabled.
  For more information, see VM instance metadata service parameters.
For more information about yandex_compute_instance properties in Terraform, see this provider guide.
Create the resources:
1. In the terminal, navigate to the configuration file directory.
2. Make sure the configuration is correct using this command:
```
terraform validate
```
  If the configuration is valid, you will get this message:
```
Success! The configuration is valid.
```
3. Run this command:
```
terraform plan
```
  You will see a list of resources and their properties. No changes will be made at this step. Terraform will show any errors in the configuration.
4. Apply the configuration changes:
```
terraform apply
```
5. Type yes and press Enter to confirm the changes.
All the resources you need will then be created in the specified folder with the settings you defined. You can check the new resources and their settings using the management console or this CLI command:
```
yc compute instance get <VM_name>
```

When creating a VM, use the create REST API method for the Instance resource or the InstanceService/Create gRPC API call.

When updating a VM, use the update REST API method for the Instance resource or the InstanceService/Update gRPC API call.

Configuring parameters of the VM metadata service

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