Quickstart

This guide takes a GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket repository to a live URL. It works for any framework Light Cloud detects - a static frontend, a server-rendered app, or an API.

Before you start#

• A GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket account with a repository you can deploy. Any framework from the supported list works, and a repository with a Dockerfile always works.
• Nothing to install. Everything in this guide happens in the browser.

No repository at hand? Start from a template instead, or upload a folder.

1. Sign in#

Open the console and sign in with GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket. On GitHub, Light Cloud installs a GitHub App so it can read the repositories you choose and build them on push - you pick which repositories the app can see, and can change the selection later in GitHub. On GitLab and Bitbucket, it connects through your user and can deploy any project or repository you have access to. Details for all three: Git providers.

2. Create an application#

Go to Create and pick a repository and a branch. Light Cloud reads the repo and detects the framework, the build command, and the output directory. The badge above the form says what was found and from which files.

Override anything that looks wrong - every field is editable, and every field is documented under Creating resources.

3. Deploy#

Confirm the settings and deploy. The build runs and the logs stream while it does. When it finishes you get a URL:

{branch}-{app}-{org}.light-cloud.io

A static build is served from the CDN. A backend build runs as a container on Cloud Run and scales to zero when idle.

4. Push to ship again#

Every push to the connected branch builds and deploys on its own. Open a pull request and you get a preview environment with its own URL to share with reviewers.

Prefer your terminal or editor?#

Deploy from Claude or GitHub Copilot instead of the dashboard. See Deploy with AI.

Next steps#