Manage Pods

Create, start, stop, and terminate Pods using the Runpod console or CLI. Review setup, configuration, and operations guidance for Runpod Pods.

This page covers the core Pod management operations. For CLI usage, first install the Runpod CLI and configure your API key:

runpodctl config --apiKey RUNPOD_API_KEY

Quick reference

Action	Web UI	CLI
Deploy	Pods page → Deploy	runpodctl pod create --name NAME --gpu-id "GPU" --image "IMAGE"
Start	Expand Pod → Play icon	runpodctl pod start POD_ID
Stop	Expand Pod → Stop icon	runpodctl pod stop POD_ID
Update	Three-dot menu → Edit Pod	runpodctl pod update POD_ID
Terminate	Expand Pod → Trash icon	runpodctl pod delete POD_ID
List	Pods page	runpodctl pod list

Deploy a Pod

Deploy preconfigured Pods from the Runpod Hub for quick setup.

Web

1. Open the Pods page and click Deploy.
2. (Optional) Attach a network volume for persistent storage.
3. Select GPU or CPU, then configure:

GPU: Select GPU type → Name your Pod → (Optional) Choose a template → Set GPU count → Click Deploy On-Demand

CPU: Select CPU type → Choose instance configuration → Name your Pod → Click Deploy On-Demand

CUDA compatibility: Ensure the host CUDA version matches your requirements. If you see “OCI runtime create failed” errors, use Additional filters → CUDA Versions to select compatible machines.

CLI

runpodctl pod create \
  --name hello-world \
  --gpu-id "NVIDIA A40" \
  --image "runpod/pytorch:3.10-2.0.0-117" \
  --container-disk-in-gb 10 \
  --volume-in-gb 100

REST API

curl --request POST \
  --url https://rest.runpod.io/v1/pods \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer RUNPOD_API_KEY' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "name": "my-pod",
    "imageName": "runpod/pytorch:2.1.0-py3.10-cuda11.8.0-devel-ubuntu22.04",
    "gpuTypeIds": ["NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090"],
    "gpuCount": 1,
    "containerDiskInGb": 50,
    "volumeInGb": 20
  }'

To deploy a Pod from an existing template, use the templateId parameter instead of specifying individual configuration options:

curl --request POST \
  --url https://rest.runpod.io/v1/pods \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer RUNPOD_API_KEY' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "name": "my-pod-from-template",
    "templateId": "YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID",
    "gpuTypeIds": ["NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090"],
    "gpuCount": 1
  }'

See the Pod API reference for all parameters.

Stop a Pod

Stopping a Pod releases the GPU and preserves data in /workspace (volume disk). Container disk data is cleared.

You’ll still be charged for volume disk storage while stopped. Terminate the Pod if you don’t need to retain your environment.

When using a network volume, your /workspace data is preserved whether you stop or terminate the Pod.

Linux commands like shutdown, poweroff, and halt do not stop a Pod. Pods run as containers, not VMs, so these commands only affect the container’s init process. The container may restart instead of stopping. To stop a Pod from inside itself, use runpodctl pod stop $RUNPOD_POD_ID from the CLI tab below, or call the REST API.

Web

1. Open the Pods page and expand your Pod.
2. Click the Stop button (square icon) and confirm.

CLI

runpodctl pod stop $RUNPOD_POD_ID

Schedule a stop (e.g., after 2 hours):

sleep 2h; runpodctl pod stop $RUNPOD_POD_ID &

REST API

curl --request POST \
  --url "https://rest.runpod.io/v1/pods/$RUNPOD_POD_ID/stop" \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer RUNPOD_API_KEY'

Start a Pod

Resume a stopped Pod. Note: You may be allocated zero GPUs if capacity has changed.

Web

1. Open the Pods page and expand your Pod.
2. Click the Start button (play icon).

CLI

runpodctl pod start $RUNPOD_POD_ID

REST API

curl --request POST \
  --url "https://rest.runpod.io/v1/pods/$RUNPOD_POD_ID/start" \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer RUNPOD_API_KEY'

Update a Pod

Modify an existing Pod’s configuration, such as storage size, image, ports, or environment variables.

Editing a running Pod resets it completely, erasing all data not stored in /workspace or a network volume.

Web

1. Open the Pods page.
2. Click the three-dot menu next to the Pod you want to update.
3. Click Edit Pod and modify your configuration.
4. Click Save to apply changes.

REST API

curl --request PATCH \
  --url "https://rest.runpod.io/v1/pods/$RUNPOD_POD_ID" \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer RUNPOD_API_KEY' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "containerDiskInGb": 100,
    "volumeInGb": 200
  }'

See the Pod API reference for all editable fields.

Terminate a Pod

Terminating permanently deletes all data not stored in a network volume. Export important data first.

Web

1. Open the Pods page and expand your Pod.
2. Stop the Pod if running, then click Terminate (trash icon) and confirm.

CLI

runpodctl pod delete $RUNPOD_POD_ID

REST API

curl --request DELETE \
  --url "https://rest.runpod.io/v1/pods/$RUNPOD_POD_ID" \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer RUNPOD_API_KEY'

View logs

Pods provide two log types:

• Container logs: Application output (stdout)
• System logs: Pod lifecycle events (startup, shutdown, errors)

Access logs from the Pods page by expanding your Pod and clicking Logs.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Zero GPUs on restart	See Zero GPU Pods
Pod stuck initializing	Check logs for command errors; ensure you have an idle job (e.g., sleep infinity) if using SSH
Docker Compose not working	Not supported. Use a custom template with your dependencies baked in.

Need help? Contact support.