> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.instapods.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deploy

> Deploy your app in one command — from local files or straight from a GitHub repo. Creates the pod if needed, builds, and runs it.

The `deploy` command is a one-shot workflow that creates a pod (if it doesn't exist), syncs your local code, installs dependencies, and reloads the app service. You can also deploy straight from a GitHub repo with `--repo` — no local files needed.

## Basic Usage

```bash theme={null}
# Deploy current directory (auto-detects preset)
instapods deploy myapp

# Deploy a specific directory
instapods deploy myapp --local ./src

# Explicit preset
instapods deploy myapp --preset nodejs

# Skip reload (just sync files)
instapods deploy myapp --no-reload
```

## What Happens

1. **Pod check** — If the pod doesn't exist, it's created (and the CLI waits for it to be running)
2. **File sync** — Local directory is uploaded to the pod's app root
3. **Reload** — App service is restarted, dependencies auto-installed (skip with `--no-reload`)

If the pod already exists, the command skips creation and goes straight to syncing.

## Deploy from a GitHub repo

Point `deploy` at a GitHub repository instead of local files. InstaPods detects the stack from the repo, creates the pod, attaches the repo, and builds & runs it. Every push after that redeploys automatically (with build logs and rollback, like [`git deploy`](/cli/git)).

```bash theme={null}
# Name is optional — derived from the repo when omitted
instapods deploy --repo https://github.com/owner/repo

# Choose the name, branch, and a monorepo subdirectory
instapods deploy my-api --repo https://github.com/owner/repo --branch dev --subdir services/api
```

With `--repo` the CLI skips local file sync: it detects the preset from the repo's root files (same rules as below), creates the pod, then follows the first build to completion. Public repos work out of the box; private repos need a GitHub account connected in the dashboard. If the stack can't be detected, pass `--preset`.

## Flags

| Flag           | Description                                           | Default                                                    |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--local`      | Local directory to sync                               | Current directory (`.`)                                    |
| `--repo`       | Deploy a GitHub repo URL instead of local files       | None                                                       |
| `--branch`     | Git branch to deploy (with `--repo`)                  | Repo default branch                                        |
| `--subdir`     | Subdirectory to deploy (with `--repo`, for monorepos) | Repo root                                                  |
| `-p, --preset` | Preset: `static`, `php`, `nodejs`, `python`           | Auto-detected                                              |
| `--no-reload`  | Skip reloading app service after sync                 | `false`                                                    |
| `--exclude`    | Patterns to exclude from sync (repeatable)            | `node_modules`, `.git`, `.env`, `__pycache__`, `.DS_Store` |
| `-r, --region` | Target region                                         | Auto-select                                                |
| `--plan`       | Plan slug                                             | `launch`                                                   |
| `--ssh-key`    | SSH public key or path                                | None                                                       |
| `--timeout`    | Max seconds to wait for pod creation                  | `120`                                                      |

## Preset Auto-Detection

If `--preset` is omitted, the CLI scans your local directory for signature files:

| Files Found                                                          | Detected Preset |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- |
| `package.json`, `tsconfig.json`, `yarn.lock`, `next.config.js`, etc. | `nodejs`        |
| `composer.json`, `*.php`, `artisan`, `wp-config.php`                 | `php`           |
| `requirements.txt`, `pyproject.toml`, `manage.py`, `app.py`, `*.py`  | `python`        |
| `index.html`, `*.html`                                               | `static`        |

Detection checks in order: Node.js, PHP, Python, Static. The first match wins.

## Examples

```bash theme={null}
# Deploy a Node.js app (new pod)
instapods deploy my-api
# →
# →   Deploying my-api
# →   Detected nodejs (package.json)
# →
# →   Creating pod ······································ ✓ 1.2s
# →   42 files uploaded ································· ✓ 0.8s
# →   Reloading ········································· ✓ 1.4s
# →     npm deps installed · service active · HTTP 200
# →
# →   ✓ Deployed in 3.4s
# →   → https://my-api.nbg1-1.instapods.app

# Re-deploy to an existing pod
instapods deploy my-api
# →
# →   Deploying my-api
# →   Pod exists (nodejs · running)
# →
# →   42 files uploaded ································· ✓ 0.6s
# →   Reloading ········································· ✓ 1.1s
# →     npm deps installed · service active · HTTP 200
# →
# →   ✓ Deployed in 1.7s
# →   → https://my-api.nbg1-1.instapods.app

# Deploy to a specific plan and region
instapods deploy staging-api --preset python --plan build -r eu-nbg

# Deploy without reload (just sync files)
instapods deploy my-site --local ./dist --no-reload

# Deploy with custom excludes
instapods deploy myapp --exclude "*.log" --exclude "tmp"
```

<Tip>
  Reload is on by default — it auto-installs dependencies from `package.json` or `requirements.txt` before restarting the service. Use `--no-reload` to skip this step if you only want to sync files.
</Tip>