As a junior developer, you might find that deploying your website can be a bit tricky. Many developers still upload files manually using FTP, which is not only slow but also prone to errors. While there are tools for automatic deployments, they often feel too complicated, especially for smaller projects or if you're just starting out. This can lead to a lot of extra work just to get a simple website online.
Luckily, tools like DeployHQ make things much easier. It's a user-friendly, web-based tool that bridges the gap between manual uploads and complex automation. It works perfectly with Git, Bitbucket, GitLab, or any custom Git repository.
DeployHQ helps you with automated deployments, rolling back to previous versions if something goes wrong, and setting up different environments (like development, staging, and production). These features ensure your site is up and running smoothly in no time.
Want to see how easy it is? Follow this quick DeployHQ tutorial to deploy your websites super fast!
Step 1: Connect Your Git Repository to DeployHQ
DeployHQ works with popular Git services like GitHub (using OAuth for easy connection), GitLab, Bitbucket, and Codebase.
Here's how to quickly connect your Git repository to your DeployHQ project:
Sign in to your DeployHQ account, then choose New Project.
Select your Git provider and give DeployHQ permission to access your repositories. (You can also choose to enter your repository details manually if needed, including its type like Git, Subversion, or Mercurial.)
Pick the repository and branch you want to deploy from.
DeployHQ will then copy your repository so it can keep track of your deployments automatically.
DeployHQ can also automatically deploy your changes whenever you push to Git, thanks to something called webhook integration. And don't worry about security: DeployHQ only has read-only access to your Git repository and uses SSH key pairs for secure connections.
Step 2: Set Up Your First Deployment Pipeline
When it's time to send your website files to a server, DeployHQ supports various ways:
FTP / SFTP / SCP: These are common for shared hosting.
SSH: Used for Virtual Private Servers (VPS) or cloud servers.
Amazon S3: Popular for hosting static websites.
Rackspace Cloud Files
DigitalOcean: You can connect directly or via SSH.
Shopify: Perfect for deploying themes directly.
AWS Elastic Beanstalk and Heroku: Connect to them using your API Keys (available in beta).
Inside your project, go to Servers & Groups and select New Server. Then, choose your connection method (like FTP or SSH) and fill in your login details.
You can even group your servers, which is super helpful for organizing different parts of your deployment. For example, you can create separate "environments" for development, staging, and production by setting up a server or server group for each and linking them to specific Git branches and deployment rules.
Once your server is set up, go to Deployments and click New Deployment. Select your servers and your Git branch, and that's it – you're ready!
You get to decide how deployments happen: you can set it to manual to start deployments yourself from the DeployHQ website, or set it to automatic so that every time you push changes to Git, DeployHQ automatically updates your website. You can even schedule deployments for a specific time.
Here's how the deployment process works:
DeployHQ finds your Git repository.
It compares your files with the last deployment.
Then, it sends the updated files using your chosen connection method.
If you want, you can even add scripts to run after the deployment is finished.
Step 3: Set Up Notifications
DeployHQ can send you notifications about your deployments in different ways. You can get updates on whether your deployment was successful or not, or even start a deployment from another app like Slack. Here's how:
For email notifications: Just go to your project's Settings and choose how often you want to receive emails about your deployments.
For browser notifications:
Go to the Settings tab at the top of the screen, then Profile.
Click on Enable Browser Notifications. Keep in mind, to get these, you need to have the deployment page open in a browser tab.
For notifications to other apps:
Go to your project’s Settings, then Integrations.
You can choose from apps like Sentry, Rollbar, Bugsag and more integrations.
Depending on your choice, you can customize messages, send push notifications directly to a team channel, or send data to a custom URL.
Finally, select when you want to be notified:
- When a deploy starts
- When a deploy succeeds
- When a deploy fails
And you're all set!
Best Practices for Fast, Zero-Downtime Deploys
Here are some tips to make your website deployments quick and smooth:
Use Atomic Deployments
DeployHQ helps you achieve zero-downtime deploys. This means your website stays online even during the update. It does this by uploading new files to a temporary spot and then quickly swapping it with the live version once everything is ready.
This makes sure your site is never broken during the deployment process.
Add Pre/Post-Deploy Scripts
- You can set up scripts to automatically run tasks before or after deployment, like preparing your code (compiling assets) or updating your database (running database migrations).
Test in Staging First
- Always test your changes in a "staging" environment (a copy of your live site) before pushing them to the "production" (live) website. This is the safest way to find and fix any issues and allows your team to review everything.
Rely on Rollbacks
- One of the best features of Git is version control! If something goes wrong with a new deployment, you can instantly revert to a previous, working version of your website.
Exclude Files You Don't Need
- Set up rules to ignore unnecessary files like
.env(environment variables),node_modules(project dependencies),.git(Git's internal files), or temporary files. This keeps your deployments clean and fast.
Conclusion
DeployHQ makes complex deployment procedures simple, turning them into an easy-to-use web-based process. It works with GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, Codebase, or any custom Git repository. You can quickly and safely deploy your code to shared hosting, cloud storage, or VPS, all without needing special server setup or DevOps knowledge.
Among all the development tools out there, DeployHQ is a great choice for individual developers, agencies, and small teams who want to improve how they deploy their projects.
Ready to deploy your website? Try DeployHQ for free!
FAQs
How do I connect my Git repository to DeployHQ?
To connect your Git repository, just log into DeployHQ, create a new project, and choose your Git provider (like GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or Codebase). You can also manually add your repository details and pick the specific branches you want to deploy from.
What deployment targets does DeployHQ support?
DeployHQ supports many places to send your website files, including FTP, SFTP, SCP, SSH, Amazon S3, Rackspace Cloud Files, DigitalOcean, and Shopify. You can also set up different servers or groups of servers to keep your development, staging, and production environments separate.
Can I automate deployments with DeployHQ?
Yes! DeployHQ lets you automate deployments using webhooks (which trigger deployments automatically when you push to Git), schedule them for a specific time, or start them manually whenever you want. It compares your files with the last deployment and pushes the updates, and you can even run custom scripts before or after the deployment.
