> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developers.oxylabs.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://developers.oxylabs.io/dashboard/product-instances.md).
# Product Instances
Learn how to create, configure, and manage product instances in the Oxylabs Dashboard.
A product instance is a specific configuration of a service (e.g., Residential Proxies, Web API) that includes a unique name, authentication credentials, and an optional spending limit.
## Creating a product instance
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
### Start the instance creation
Click **+ Add product instance** from the Overview page. New products can be activated instantly – no account manager or waiting required.
New users are prompted to create their product instance on their first visit:
Existing users can find the instance creation option as shown below:
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Select a product
Choose a product from the list. Products are grouped into categories:
* **Data Collection** (Web API)
* **Proxies & Advanced Proxy Solutions** (Residential, Mobile, Datacenter, ISP Proxies, Web Unblocker)
* **Browsers** (Agent Browser)
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Set instance name and credentials
**Instance name**: Choose a descriptive name.
**Authentication settings:**
* **Username & password** (auto-generated, the password can be edited later)
* **Whitelisted IPs** (a list of trusted IPs to authenticate with)
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Configure limits & notifications (optional)
To cap usage on the new instance, set up a limit with:
**Limit type**:
* `USD/EUR` (Monetary)
* `Results`
* `GB` (Traffic)
**Period**: `Daily`, `Weekly`, `Monthly`, or `Lifetime`
{% hint style="info" %}
**Limit type** choice differs by product.
{% endhint %}
Then choose an **Action for exceeded limit**:
* **Disable instance** when the limit is reached.
* **Send email** alerts without disabling the instance.
{% hint style="info" %}
Instance limits control spending on that specific instance only. They're separate from your overall account credit balance – see [Credit-Based Billing](/dashboard/credit-based-billing.md) for how the shared balance works.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Finish instance setup
Click **Create instance** to complete the setup.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
## Managing instances
Click any instance to open its detail page. From there, you can:
* Edit the instance name
* Enable, disable, or delete the instance
* Adjust limits
* View or edit passwords
* Access integration examples
* View usage statistics and the spending limit progress bar
## Granular alerts
Team owner can set spending alerts at the `50%`, `80%`, or `100%` level so you're notified before a product instance or your overall account hits its limit.
{% hint style="info" %}
By default, alerts are set at `80%` and `100%` of your plan limit.
{% endhint %}
Team owner can manage who receives these alerts (recipient email addresses) from the Email notifications settings – see [Team & Account Settings](/dashboard/team-and-account-settings.md).
## Monitoring spending and usage
### Real-time spending
The top bar on the Overview page shows real-time spending for the current billing cycle.
### Historical data
In the **Spending** tab, view historical data by **Products**, **Instances**, or **Targets**. Switch between `Hourly`, `Daily`, `Weekly`, or `Monthly` views for different granularities.
### Usage
The **Usage** tab displays success rates, response time, and other metrics per time interval or target, depending on the chosen product.
You can also compare daily usage breakdowns:
{% hint style="info" %}
To pull usage statistics programmatically instead of viewing them in the dashboard, see the [Dashboard API](/dashboard/dashboard-api.md).
{% endhint %}
---
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