Git Deployment

Deploy code to your pod by connecting a GitHub repository or any Git URL. Push to a branch and your code deploys automatically — with dependency installation, build commands, and deployment history.

Starting fresh? You don’t need to create the pod first. instapods deploy --repo <url> detects the stack, creates the pod, connects the repo, and runs the first build in one step — the same flow as the From GitHub option in the create-pod wizard and the “Deploy to InstaPods” button.

Quick Start

# Create a pod
instapods pods create my-api --preset nodejs -w

# Connect a GitHub repo and trigger the first deploy
instapods git connect my-api --repo https://github.com/you/my-api --deploy

# That's it. Push to main and it auto-deploys.

Deploying a Repo From Scratch

If the pod doesn’t exist yet, the From GitHub path in the create wizard reads your repository first and proposes a complete deploy plan, which you can edit before anything is created:

Runtime and plan - detected from your root files. Every preset starts on Launch unless the plan is raised for a reason you can see (a repo that needs a managed database starts on Build, because Launch can’t run one).
Install, build, start and release commands - detected, and editable inline.
Managed services - when the repo clearly needs PostgreSQL, MySQL or Redis, they’re installed on first deploy and their connection strings written into your app’s environment, so the app boots connected. DATABASE_URL and REDIS_URL are always written; an app that reads a different name (POSTGRES_PRISMA_URL, say) gets that one filled too.
Environment variables - the wizard lists the ones your repo needs and asks for the values it can’t know. It handles two kinds itself:
- Generated secrets (session and auth keys) are minted server-side, stored once, and reused on every redeploy - regenerating them would sign everyone out on each deploy.
- Self-URL variables (APP_URL, NEXTAUTH_URL, …) are filled with the pod’s own URL at deploy time, because the pod has no URL yet while you’re filling the form. Type a value yourself to pin a custom domain instead.
Database migrations - a detected migration command becomes the release command and runs on every deploy, after the services are wired.

Services require the Build plan or higher.

Laravel

A Laravel repo is recognised as a special case: the wizard offers to provision MySQL with it and starts it on the Build plan (Launch has no services), writes the database credentials into .env, runs php artisan migrate --force as the release command, and builds your front-end assets.

From the CLI

# Detect the stack, create the pod, connect the repo, run the first build
instapods deploy --repo https://github.com/you/my-api

# A monorepo: deploy one app out of the repo
instapods deploy --repo https://github.com/you/monorepo --subdir apps/web

The CLI path creates the pod and deploys it; environment variables and managed services are set afterwards with instapods env set and instapods services add. Use the dashboard wizard when you want them wired in before the first build.

Connecting a Repository

GitHub Repository

CLI
Dashboard
API

# Connect and deploy immediately
instapods git connect my-app --repo https://github.com/you/repo --deploy

# Connect to a specific branch
instapods git connect my-app --repo https://github.com/you/repo --branch develop

# Connect a private repo with a personal access token
instapods git connect my-app \
  --repo https://github.com/you/private-repo \
  --auth-token ghp_your_token_here \
  --deploy

Go to your pod’s Git tab
Enter the repository URL (e.g., https://github.com/you/repo)
Select the branch to deploy from (default: main)
Click Connect

curl -X POST https://app.instapods.com/api/pods/my-app/git \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "repo_url": "https://github.com/you/repo",
    "branch": "main",
    "auto_deploy": true
  }'

Connecting Your GitHub Account

Your GitHub connection belongs to your account, not to a pod, so you can set it up before you have any pods. Go to Integrations in the sidebar (/dashboard/integrations) - the GitHub card shows whether you’re connected, which accounts and organisations the InstaPods app is installed on, and how many repositories each one exposes. That repository count is the thing to check when the repo picker looks empty: the GitHub App is installed per account or organisation and per repository, so a repo in an org you didn’t grant access to simply won’t appear. Configure on GitHub, at the bottom of the card, takes you straight to the installation settings where you can add it.

A private repository needs this connection. Public repos deploy without one, but pasting a private repo’s URL without a connected GitHub account is refused with “this looks like a private repository - connect GitHub to deploy it, or use a public repo”. Connect the account (and grant the app access to that repo) and paste the URL again.

Any Git URL

You can connect any publicly accessible Git repository:

instapods git connect my-app --repo https://gitlab.com/you/repo
instapods git connect my-app --repo https://bitbucket.org/you/repo

For private repositories, provide an auth token:

instapods git connect my-app \
  --repo https://gitlab.com/you/private-repo \
  --auth-token glpat-your_token_here

Auto-Deploy on Push

When a repository is connected with auto-deploy enabled (the default), pushing to the configured branch triggers a deployment automatically. For GitHub repositories, InstaPods sets up a webhook that fires on every push. For other Git providers, you can configure a webhook manually using the URL shown in the dashboard.

How a Deploy Works

Pull — The latest code is pulled from the configured branch
Install — Dependencies are installed based on the preset (see below)
Build — Build commands run if configured
Restart — The application service restarts with the new code

The entire process typically takes 5-30 seconds depending on the size of your dependencies.

Skip a Deploy

Add [skip deploy] to your commit message to push without triggering a deployment:

git commit -m "update readme [skip deploy]"
git push

Build Auto-Detection

InstaPods uses AI to analyze your project files and automatically determine the right install, build, and start commands for each deploy. This works for all presets and handles frameworks like Next.js, Vite, Django, Laravel, and more — without any configuration. The AI inspects files like package.json, requirements.txt, composer.json, framework configs, and your directory structure. It detects:

Install commands — npm install, pip install -r requirements.txt, composer install, etc.
Build commands — npm run build, framework-specific builds
Start commands — node server.js, serve -s build, gunicorn app:app, etc.
App port — The port your app listens on

If AI detection is unavailable, InstaPods falls back to these defaults:

Preset	Install Command	Build Command
Node.js	`npm install`	`npm run build` (if build script exists)
Python	`pip install -r requirements.txt`	None
PHP	`composer install`	None
Static	None	None

The AI auto-detection handles SPAs and frameworks that need a custom start command (e.g., serve -s build for Vite, node server.js for Next.js standalone). You don’t need to configure these manually.

Package Manager

The package manager is not a guess. If your repo has a bun.lock, pnpm-lock.yaml or yarn.lock, or a packageManager field in package.json, InstaPods uses that tool for both install and build - npm cannot resolve a workspace: dependency from a bun, pnpm or yarn monorepo, so getting this wrong would break the install outright. Make sure your start command uses the same tool (bun run start, not npm start, for a bun project).

Monorepos

A pod runs one app. In a monorepo, build only the package you’re going to serve:

bun run build --filter=web        # turbo / bun
pnpm --filter web build           # pnpm
npm run build -w web              # npm workspaces

A bare turbo run build or pnpm -r build builds every sibling app, and one unrelated package failing fails your whole deploy. Use --subdirectory (below) when the app you want lives in a subfolder of the repo.

A repo containing two runtimes - a Node frontend and a Python backend, say - deploys the detected one only, and the wizard warns you when it spots this. If the server you actually want is the other runtime, set a custom start command, or deploy that side to its own pod.

Custom Commands

Every command is editable - during the create wizard, and afterwards on the pod’s Git tab:

Command	When it runs
Install	First, to fetch dependencies
Build	After install
Release	After the build and after managed services are wired, on every deploy - this is your database migration
Start	The long-running process that serves your app

The start command matters most: it’s what you set when your app doesn’t start the way its preset assumes (open-webui serve on a Python pod, node server.js for a Next.js standalone build, a cd apps/web && bun run start in a monorepo).

A release command that fails, fails the deploy - every time, until you fix it. If a detected migration command is wrong for your app, edit it or clear it on the Git tab.

# Set a custom build command during connect
instapods git connect my-app \
  --repo https://github.com/you/repo \
  --build-cmd "npm ci && npm run build"

# Deploy an app that lives in a subfolder of the repo
instapods git connect my-app \
  --repo https://github.com/you/repo \
  --subdirectory apps/web \
  --install-cmd "pnpm install --frozen-lockfile"

curl -X PUT https://app.instapods.com/api/pods/my-app/git \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "install_command": "npm ci",
    "build_command": "npm run build",
    "start_command": "node server.js",
    "release_command": "npx prisma migrate deploy",
    "subdirectory": "apps/web",
    "auto_deploy": true
  }'

Every field is optional; send only what you want to change. Send "" to clear one and fall back to detection.

When a Deploy Fails

Failed deployments are diagnosed automatically. The Git tab shows a banner on the failed deployment naming what went wrong - a stale lockfile, missing build-time environment variables, a monorepo sibling that broke the build, a branch that isn’t on the remote, a dev script being used to serve production - with the build log underneath. See Deploy Doctor for the full list, and for what happens when the app deploys fine but doesn’t stay up.

Check Git Status

See the current git configuration and last deployment status:

instapods git status my-app

Output shows the connected repo, branch, auto-deploy setting, and latest deployment info.

curl https://app.instapods.com/api/pods/my-app/git \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Returns null if no repository is connected.

Manual Deploy

Trigger a deployment manually, even if auto-deploy is off:

# Trigger and return immediately
instapods git deploy my-app

# Wait for the deploy to finish
instapods git deploy my-app -w

# Wait with custom timeout
instapods git deploy my-app -w --timeout 300s

curl -X POST https://app.instapods.com/api/pods/my-app/git/deploy \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Deployment History and Logs

Every deployment is recorded with its status, commit, and build output.

View Deployments

# Last 10 deployments (default)
instapods git deployments my-app

# Last 25 deployments
instapods git deployments my-app -n 25

curl "https://app.instapods.com/api/pods/my-app/git/deployments?limit=10" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

View Build Logs

# Logs from the latest deployment
instapods git logs my-app

# Logs from a specific deployment
instapods git logs my-app deploy_abc123

curl https://app.instapods.com/api/pods/my-app/git/deployments/deploy_abc123 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

The response includes a build_log field with the full output.

Rollback

Revert to a previous deployment:

# Rollback to the previous deployment
instapods git rollback my-app

# Rollback to a specific deployment
instapods git rollback my-app deploy_abc123

# Skip confirmation and wait for completion
instapods git rollback my-app -f -w

curl -X POST https://app.instapods.com/api/pods/my-app/git/rollback \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"deployment_id": "deploy_abc123"}'

Omit deployment_id to roll back to the immediately previous deployment.

GitHub Commit Status Checks

When deploying from a GitHub repository, InstaPods reports deployment status back to GitHub as commit status checks. You’ll see a green checkmark (or red X) on your commits and pull requests. This works automatically for public repositories. For private repositories, make sure the auth token you provided has repo:status scope.

Disconnect

Remove the git connection from a pod:

# With confirmation prompt
instapods git disconnect my-app

# Skip confirmation
instapods git disconnect my-app -f

curl -X DELETE https://app.instapods.com/api/pods/my-app/git \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Disconnecting removes the webhook and git configuration. Your deployed code stays in the pod — nothing is deleted.

Full Example

Deploy a Node.js API from GitHub with auto-deploy:

# 1. Create the pod
instapods pods create my-api --preset nodejs --plan build -w

# 2. Set environment variables
instapods exec my-api -- "cat > /home/instapod/app/.env << 'EOF'
DATABASE_URL=postgres://instapod:secret@localhost:5432/instapod
NODE_ENV=production
EOF"

# 3. Install a database
instapods services add my-api -s postgresql -w

# 4. Connect the repo (triggers first deploy)
instapods git connect my-api --repo https://github.com/you/my-api --deploy

# 5. Check deployment status
instapods git status my-api

# From now on, every push to main auto-deploys.
# View deployment history anytime:
instapods git deployments my-api

Getting Started

Dashboard

Presets

Services

SSH & Files

Guides

Partners

Support

Quick Start

Deploying a Repo From Scratch

Laravel

From the CLI

Connecting a Repository

GitHub Repository

Connecting Your GitHub Account

Any Git URL

Auto-Deploy on Push

How a Deploy Works

Skip a Deploy

Build Auto-Detection

Package Manager

Monorepos

Custom Commands

When a Deploy Fails

Check Git Status

Manual Deploy

Deployment History and Logs

View Deployments

View Build Logs

Rollback

GitHub Commit Status Checks

Disconnect

Full Example

​Quick Start

​Deploying a Repo From Scratch

​Laravel

​From the CLI

​Connecting a Repository

​GitHub Repository

​Connecting Your GitHub Account

​Any Git URL

​Auto-Deploy on Push

​How a Deploy Works

​Skip a Deploy

​Build Auto-Detection

​Package Manager

​Monorepos

​Custom Commands

​When a Deploy Fails

​Check Git Status

​Manual Deploy

​Deployment History and Logs

​View Deployments

​View Build Logs

​Rollback

​GitHub Commit Status Checks

​Disconnect

​Full Example

Quick Start

Deploying a Repo From Scratch

Laravel

From the CLI

Connecting a Repository

GitHub Repository

Connecting Your GitHub Account

Any Git URL

Auto-Deploy on Push

How a Deploy Works

Skip a Deploy

Build Auto-Detection

Package Manager

Monorepos

Custom Commands

When a Deploy Fails

Check Git Status

Manual Deploy

Deployment History and Logs

View Deployments

View Build Logs

Rollback

GitHub Commit Status Checks

Disconnect

Full Example