# Set Instance Prefixes

By default, Compute instances managed by an SKS nodepool are named `pool-<first 5 chars of the underlying instance pool ID>-<random string>`.

This pattern can be customized by passing the `--instance-prefix` parameter during a nodepool creation or update. For example, if you specify `--instance-prefix=applications`, `pool` will be replaced by `applications` in the Compute instance names.