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.

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
  }'

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.

Custom Commands

Override the defaults with a custom build command:

# 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"

# Update the build command later
instapods git connect my-app \
  --repo https://github.com/you/repo \
  --build-cmd "yarn install --frozen-lockfile && yarn build"

curl -X PUT https://app.instapods.com/api/pods/my-app/git \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "build_command": "npm ci && npm run build",
    "auto_deploy": true
  }'

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

Connecting a Repository

GitHub Repository

Any Git URL

Auto-Deploy on Push

How a Deploy Works

Skip a Deploy

Build Auto-Detection

Custom Commands

Check Git Status

Manual Deploy

Deployment History and Logs

View Deployments

View Build Logs

Rollback

GitHub Commit Status Checks

Disconnect

Full Example

​Quick Start

​Connecting a Repository

​GitHub Repository

​Any Git URL

​Auto-Deploy on Push

​How a Deploy Works

​Skip a Deploy

​Build Auto-Detection

​Custom Commands

​Check Git Status

​Manual Deploy

​Deployment History and Logs

​View Deployments

​View Build Logs

​Rollback

​GitHub Commit Status Checks

​Disconnect

​Full Example

Quick Start

Connecting a Repository

GitHub Repository

Any Git URL

Auto-Deploy on Push

How a Deploy Works

Skip a Deploy

Build Auto-Detection

Custom Commands

Check Git Status

Manual Deploy

Deployment History and Logs

View Deployments

View Build Logs

Rollback

GitHub Commit Status Checks

Disconnect

Full Example