Troubleshooting

Common issues and what to check when something goes wrong.

Server list or instance details won’t load

Cause: Contabo API credentials are missing or invalid.

Fix: Go to Server Manager → Contabo Setup (or Reseller settings) and enter correct Client ID, Client Secret, API Username, and API Password. Use Test connection (Contabo) if available, then Save. Reload the server list.

ResellerClub API returns 403 (Forbidden)

Cause: ResellerClub (or its firewall/Cloudflare) blocks requests from the server’s IP. The API requires the server’s outbound IP to be whitelisted in ResellerClub → Settings → API.

Fix:

On the Admin ResellerClub settings page, find the Server outbound IP box (or run curl -s ifconfig.me on the server).
In ResellerClub control panel: go to Settings → API and add this exact IP to the whitelist.
After adding or changing the IP, wait 30–60 minutes before testing again; propagation can be slow.

If Order ID is blank and the system looks up order ID by domain, the 403 can occur on that lookup call; the same whitelist fix applies.

Test connection (ResellerClub) fails with correct details

Ensure:

Reseller ID and API key are correct and the API key has not been regenerated without updating the panel.
Order ID (if used) matches the order for your base domain; or leave Order ID blank so the system looks up by base domain.
Server outbound IP is whitelisted in ResellerClub (see 403 above).

On the admin settings page, the result is shown in a copyable textarea so you can share or log the exact error message.

DNS records not created after server creation

DNS A records (hostname, ns1, ns2) are created after the instance has an IPv4. If they don’t appear:

Check that effective ResellerClub settings (admin or your own) are configured and Test connection succeeds.
If 403 or other API errors occur, fix whitelist/credentials; you may need to add A records manually in ResellerClub for that hostname and nameserver hostnames.

404 on /server-manager/create

If the create page returns 404, the client area’s redirect/routing may not be registered. Ensure the Server Manager and Redirect modules are active and that the route /server-manager/create is registered. This is typically a provider-side fix.

Reinstall shows no images

In Contabo Setup, check “Reinstall – which OS images to show”. At least one of “Contabo ISO (standard images)” or “Custom ISO” must be selected. If both are unchecked, the Reinstall dropdown will be empty.

Auto Backup not available for a server

Enable Auto Backup for your account on Server Manager → Auto Backup. If it’s already enabled and the server’s Auto Backup tab still says it’s not available, the provider may need to enable the feature for your account; contact support.

Support

For issues not covered here or provider-specific configuration, use the contact or support options on the main site (contaboreseller.com). Have your Instance ID and a short description of the error (and, if applicable, the copyable ResellerClub test result) ready.