Docs · Getting started
Deploy your first app in five steps.
To deploy on Runex, create an account, install the Runex GitHub App, pick a repository and branch, and deploy. When the build finishes, your app is live at https://<slug>.runex.cloud with HTTPS.
- About 5 minutes
- No server setup
- HTTPS included
- 1 · account
- created
- 2 · github app
- installed · 1 repo
- 3 · repo
- acme/hello · main
- 4 · deploy
- build → health check → live
- 5 · url
- https://hello.runex.cloud
Prerequisites
What do you need before you start?
A GitHub account and an app that runs locally. If your app listens on a fixed port, fix that first with the port configuration guide.
- Your app's code in a GitHub repository
- Permission to install a GitHub App on that account or organization
- An app that builds and starts locally: Next.js, Node.js, Python, Go, or a Dockerfile
- A server that listens on 0.0.0.0 and the PORT variable
Steps
How do you deploy your first app on Runex?
Five steps, in this order.
- Create an account at runex.cloud/sign-up.
- Install the Runex GitHub App and grant access to the repository you'll deploy.
- Pick the repository and branch, usually main.
- Add environment variables your app needs, such as DATABASE_URL.
- Deploy and open https://<slug>.runex.cloud when it's live.
Under the hood
What happens when you click Deploy?
Runex builds, isolates, checks, and serves. Traffic switches only after a health check passes, so zero-downtime deployments are the default.
-
Runex
Build
From your framework or Dockerfile.
-
Runex
Isolate
Starts the app in its own container.
-
Runex
Health-check
Waits until the app responds.
-
Runex
Serve
Routes HTTPS traffic to it.
Next steps
What should you do after your first deploy?
Three things make it production-ready. Most apps add a custom domain next.
FAQ
Getting started questions
What new users ask.
How long does it take to deploy the first app on Runex?
Most apps are live within minutes: signing up and installing the GitHub App takes a couple of minutes, and the rest is your app's build time.
Do I need a credit card to try Runex?
Check the sign-up page for current requirements. The Hobby plan is free, and its limits are shown in the dashboard.
What if my first deploy fails?
Open the deploy's build log in the dashboard, fix the error, and push again. The deployment-failed guide lists the usual causes.
Where is my app's URL?
In the Runex dashboard, on the app's page. It has the form https://<slug>.runex.cloud and already uses HTTPS.
Next step
Step 1: sign up.
The next four steps take about as long as reading this page.