The instapods files commands let you manage files inside your pods without SSH.
List Files
instapods files ls my-app
instapods files ls my-app /home/instapod/app/src
Read a File
instapods files cat my-app /home/instapod/app/index.js
Write a File
instapods files write my-app /home/instapod/app/config.json --content '{"key": "value"}'
cat .env | instapods files write my-app /home/instapod/app/.env
echo "Hello!" | instapods files write my-app /home/instapod/app/hello.txt
Create a Directory
instapods files mkdir my-app /home/instapod/app/src
instapods files mkdir my-app /home/instapod/app/data/uploads -p
-p to create parent directories recursively (like mkdir -p).
Upload a File
instapods files upload my-app ./index.html
instapods files upload my-app ./dist/bundle.js --remote /home/instapod/app/public/bundle.js
--remote is not specified, the file is placed in the pod’s app root with the same filename.
Sync a Directory
instapods files sync my-app --local ./my-project
Sync Flags
| Flag | Description | Default |
|---|
--local | Local directory path | Current directory (.) |
--remote | Remote directory path | Pod’s app root |
--exclude | Glob patterns to exclude (repeatable) | node_modules, .git, .env, __pycache__, .DS_Store |
--dry-run | Preview what would be uploaded | false |
Examples
# Sync current directory (simplest form)
instapods files sync my-app
# Sync with additional exclusions
instapods files sync my-app --local ./project \
--exclude "*.log" \
--exclude "vendor"
# Preview before syncing
instapods files sync my-app --local ./project --dry-run
# Sync to a specific remote path
instapods files sync my-app --local ./build --remote /home/instapod/app/public
Common patterns like node_modules, .git, .env, __pycache__, and .DS_Store are excluded by default. Add --exclude flags for any additional patterns you want to skip.
PHP preset: The web root is /home/instapod/app/public, not /home/instapod/app. Upload your public-facing files (index.php, CSS, JS) to the public/ subdirectory, and application logic to the app root.
