The deploy wizard

The deploy wizard is the screen you land on after picking a source on the New Project page: a GitHub repository, a Git URL import, an uploaded folder or archive, or a starter template. It answers three questions and then does the work: does the detected build look right?, where should it run?, and is it live yet?

The wizard lives at /deploy/<source>. When you press Deploy it hands off to the live build screen at /build/<id>, which streams the logs until your app is online.

Where it runs: the Build & deploy bar

The wizard always opens on its configuration screen. At the top, a compact bar summarizes where the app will run and build (Build & deploy:, or Build: and Deploy: when they differ). Synq fills it in for you from your saved default or the server you picked last time; otherwise it uses this Synq host.

Click the bar (it has a pencil) to open the target picker, Where do you want to deploy?:

• One card per server. The Synq host itself carries a This Server badge (the current host, where deploys run by default). With several servers, Choose a server lists them with Search servers….
• Add your own server opens the Add your server form (name, IP address, port, username, and a password, SSH key or agent) right inside the wizard. The new server is selected once saved. See Custom servers.

Advanced

Pick a server and an Advanced section appears (collapsed by default). Its summary shows the current build location; expand it for:

• Runtime: how the app is isolated on the server.
  • Sandboxed (recommended): an isolated container; a compromise cannot reach the host. Tiny overhead.
  • Direct: runs straight on the host. Lowest overhead, but full host access if compromised. Picking it shows a security caveat, and a memory note on small servers.
• Build location: This Machine (build here and ship the output; faster on a powerful machine) or Remote (build on the deploy target; best when this machine is small).
• Clone location, for sandboxed and Compose deploys: On Synq (clone on the Synq host, then upload; works everywhere) or On the server (clone on the server, no upload; best for big repositories).
• Rollback & backups: how many past versions stay restorable on this server, and the project's pre-deploy backup policy.

Tick Save as my default for every deployment. to remember the target for next time (change it later in Settings, or per deploy from this picker), then press Continue.

The configuration screen

The main column holds the settings; a sticky sidebar on the right holds the source, the domain, the Deploy button and a summary. For most apps the detected defaults are right and you can press Deploy straight away.

The main column

What renders depends on what Synq detected (see Build detection and builders):

• App: a Framework picker (Detected, Change, Use detected) and the build settings: install command, build command, output directory, source folder, start command and port.
• Dockerfile Detected: a single Dockerfile project ("Your project will be built and deployed using its Dockerfile"); you mainly confirm the Exposed Port.
• Services (Docker Compose): the parsed services and their Shared environment. See Compose & multi-service apps.
• Monorepo: a workspace header with one card per detected sub-app.

Below that, depending on the project:

• Environment Variables (collapsible; Paste .env and Upload .env help). See Environment variables.
• Compose file: point at a Compose file outside the root ("Deploying with Docker Compose? Point to the file."), then press Scan.
• Health checks: how Synq decides the new version is ready before switching traffic.
• Builder (single apps on your own servers): Auto, Dockerfile, Nixpacks, Railpack or Buildpacks. Collapsed and on Auto unless you open it. See Choose a builder.
• Project Name.
• Routing, when rewrites, redirects or headers were detected.

The sidebar

Repository shows owner/repo and a branch dropdown. Its menu offers Copy clone token (a ready-to-run git clone with a short-lived token, for GitHub App repositories). Uploaded and local sources have no remote repository, so they show no clone menu.

Domain holds one or more domain rows (+ adds one). Each row is a Free subdomain, a Custom domain, or None (internal only), plus the exposed port for server apps or the static path for static sites. To put the app on your own address with HTTPS, see Custom domains.

Deploy Summary is a read-only recap at the bottom of the sidebar. For apps it lists the Domain, Build Location, Framework, and the Install, Build and Output settings. For Docker and Compose it shows the Runtime or Stack and the Port.

The Deploy button

The primary button in the sidebar reads Deploy and switches to Deploying… while it starts. Pressing it starts the build and takes you to the build screen.

A few checks can interrupt first; none are errors, just the wizard asking for what it needs:

• Compose services with ports but no public domain: a "No public service is reachable" warning with Review Services and Deploy Anyway.
• No way to clone a private repository (no gh, no GitHub App, no token): a credential dialog offering to install the App, paste a token, or build locally instead.

The live build screen

Deploy takes you to /build/<id>, the screen that watches the deployment. It has three parts.

Header and progress

The heading is the project's name with a status pill next to it: Building or Deploying while it runs, then Ready, Ready with warnings, Failed or Cancelled. The source and branch sit under the name. Below it, a step tracker lights up each phase (clone, build, deploy and so on), with a spinner on the current step and a red mark on a failed one.

Deployment Logs

The Deployment Logs panel streams the build output line by line. This is where you read what actually happened. After a successful deploy of a server app, the same panel switches to the running app's container logs; a failed deploy adds a "See logs for issue details" hint. See Logs & monitoring.

Details and actions

The Details card on the right lists Instance, Build, Build time, Framework and Domain (Domains when there are several). The buttons change with the state:

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