The web IDE is a browser-based code editor built on Monaco (the same engine as VS Code). Edit files, manage your project, and deploy changes — all without leaving the browser.
Accessing the IDE
- Go to your pod’s detail page at
/dashboard/pods/{name}
- Click the Open IDE button in the top-right corner
- The IDE opens in a new browser tab
Direct URL: https://app.instapods.com/ide/{pod-name}
Interface
The IDE has three main areas:
- Sidebar (left) — File tree showing your pod’s app directory
- Tab bar (top) — Open files as tabs, up to 10 simultaneously
- Editor (center) — Monaco editor with syntax highlighting, line numbers, and minimap
File Operations
| Action | How |
|---|
| Open file | Click a file in the sidebar tree |
| Create file | Right-click a folder → New File, or click the + icon |
| Create folder | Right-click a folder → New Folder, or click the folder icon |
| Rename | Right-click → Rename (inline editing) |
| Duplicate | Right-click → Duplicate |
| Delete | Right-click → Delete (with confirmation) |
| Download | Right-click a file → Download |
| Copy path | Right-click → Copy Path |
| Upload | Drag and drop files onto the sidebar |
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|
| Ctrl+S / Cmd+S | Save the active file |
| Esc | Close context menu or cancel rename |
| Enter | Confirm rename or new file name |
Multi-Tab Editing
- Open up to 10 files simultaneously
- Unsaved files show an asterisk (
*) next to their name
- Closing a tab with unsaved changes shows a Save / Discard / Cancel dialog
- Tab positions persist in your browser session — reopen the IDE and your tabs are restored
Drag and Drop Upload
Drag files or entire folders from your computer onto the IDE sidebar:
- Files appear with a blue drop overlay
- Folder hierarchies are preserved automatically
- Existing files are overwritten
- Open tabs refresh if their files were updated
Syntax Highlighting
The editor auto-detects language from the file extension. Supported languages include:
JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, SCSS, PHP, Python, Go, Rust, Ruby, JSON, YAML, Markdown, SQL, Shell, XML, and more.
| Task | Best Tool |
|---|
| Quick config file edits | Web IDE |
| Browsing project files | Web IDE |
| Writing small scripts | Web IDE |
| Large project development | Local editor + files sync |
| Bulk file operations | CLI files commands |
| Running commands | Web Terminal |
| Git operations | SSH or Web Terminal |
The IDE works within your pod’s app root directory. All changes are saved directly to the pod — there’s no separate deploy step. The pod must be running for the IDE to load files.
