Deploy from GitHub
Connect a GitHub repository, check it is ready, and ship it to a live URL.
Connect your GitHub account, pick a repository and branch, run the readiness check, and deploy. Your app comes up on its own web address.
Before you start
Your repository needs a Dockerfile in its root and a server that listens on the port the platform provides. The what runs here page is the full list. If it is missing something, the readiness scan tells you exactly what, and hands you a prompt to fix it.
Steps
Start a new app
In the dashboard, open New app. Under import source, choose the GitHub tab.
Connect GitHub
Click Connect GitHub and approve the OrbitOrca GitHub App. When it returns you see Connected as your account.
If a repository you expect is missing, click Add repositories and grant the GitHub App access to it on GitHub, then come back.
Pick the repository and branch
Search for the repository, select it, then choose the Branch to build from. Private repositories work.
Name it and pick a subdomain
Give the app a name. Optionally set a Subdomain — leave it blank and one is generated for you. This becomes the app's live address. See subdomains and domains.
Answer the "is this already live?" question
Before the first deploy the platform asks whether this app is already running somewhere, with real users or data. For a brand-new app, answer No, it's new. If it is already live in production, read database migrations first — the platform does not move existing data.
Run the readiness scan
Open the readiness check and Run scan. It verifies your source can build and run. If it comes back Ready to deploy, continue. If it says Action required, see readiness and fixes — you get a fix prompt for your coding agent, or you edit the repo yourself and re-scan.
Deploy
Press DEPLOY. The pipeline runs through building, scanning, pushing and deploying. When it finishes you see Your app is live with the URL. Open it.
What can go wrong
- "Connect GitHub before importing a private repository." — You picked the GitHub tab without connecting. Click Connect GitHub first.
- "GitHub installation not found. Reconnect your account." — The GitHub App access was removed or expired. Reconnect from the GitHub tab.
- "GitHub is temporarily unavailable. Try again shortly." — A GitHub outage, not your repo. Retry in a few minutes.
- "That branch is not in the repository any more. Pick one from the list." — The branch was deleted or renamed. Choose a current branch.
- "This subdomain is already taken." / "This subdomain is reserved." — Pick another subdomain.
- "Run a readiness scan before deploying" — Deploy is disabled until a scan has run. Run it first.
- "Fix scan findings before deploying" — The last scan blocked. Open it, fix what it found, re-scan, deploy.
Every deploy-path error, with its fix, is on the troubleshooting page.