Deploy an application from GitHub

Doc-vs-code note: docs/product/feature-inventory.md says the three deploy paths are "collapsed behind one button with no explanation of the difference." That's out of date — the current Deploy application dialog already shows three explicit, labeled cards (From GitHub, From image, From Compose), each with its own description. The inventory should be updated to reflect this.

What it's for

Push code to GitHub, get a live URL. Connect a repository once and every git push to your production branch triggers a new build and deploy automatically — no Dockerfile required for most common frameworks (Next.js, FastAPI, Spring Boot, Django, Go, and 15+ others are auto-detected).

How to deploy

1. Open your project and go to Applications.
2. Click Deploy application.
3. Choose the Environment you're deploying into (Cloud or VM — VM environments cannot deploy this way, see Gotchas).
4. Pick the From GitHub card, then click Continue.
5. If you haven't connected a GitHub account yet, click Connect GitHub and authorize the dada-cloud GitHub App. You can connect additional accounts/orgs later with Add another account.
6. Search and pick the repository you want to deploy. Private repos show a lock icon.
7. Review the Configure step:
   • Application name — pre-filled from the repo name, editable (lowercase letters, digits, hyphens).
   • Framework — auto-detected from your repo; override it from the dropdown if it guessed wrong (grouped by Java/JVM, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Static/Dockerfile).
   • Port, Profile (small/medium/large), Production branch, Root directory.
   • Auto-deploy toggle — on by default; every push to the production branch redeploys.
8. Click Deploy. The wizard streams the build log live on the same page.
9. When the build succeeds you get Retry, View deployments, and Open app actions.

Gotchas

• Changing the Root directory re-runs framework auto-detection automatically (on blur).
• If auto-detect can't identify anything, port defaults to 8080 and you pick the framework manually.
• Once you click Deploy, the source/repo pick and Configure fields lock — you can't edit the spec the build was triggered with mid-flight. Fix mistakes by finishing the flow and editing app settings afterward, or git import again.
• A repo can only be linked to one app at a time; re-linking the same repo/app pair is treated as "already connected" and just proceeds to a new deploy, it won't error.
• The Builds nav item (repo connections + history) is only visible to Owner/Admin roles. A Developer can still deploy through this wizard (it only requires write access), but won't see the Builds list afterward — use the app's Deployments tab instead, which every Developer can reach.
• VM environments show a warning banner and block deployment from this page entirely — use Bring your own VM or Adopt existing workloads instead.

Not yet supported

• No preview/staging deploys per pull request — only the one configured production branch auto-deploys.
• No build cache configuration.
• No way to change the port/profile/framework override after the initial import from this wizard's UI — those live in app settings once the app exists.