Configuring a Docker Build Server

Last updated on 23rd January 2026

Building Docker Images with DeployHQ

This guide outlines how to configure DeployHQ to build Docker images from your repository and optionally push them to a container registry. This feature requires a Dockerfile in your repository.

Note: This feature is currently in beta. To use Docker Build, you must first enable beta features in your account settings.

Prerequisites:

  • Beta Features Enabled: Docker Build requires beta features to be enabled in your account
  • Dockerfile: Your repository must contain a valid Dockerfile
  • Registry Account: For pushing images, you need credentials for your chosen container registry

Supported Container Registries

DeployHQ supports building and pushing Docker images to:

  • Docker Hub - The default Docker container registry
  • Google Container Registry (GCR) - Google Cloud's container registry
  • GitHub Container Registry (GHCR) - GitHub's container registry
  • Azure Container Registry (ACR) - Microsoft Azure's container registry

Step-by-Step Configuration

  1. Select Protocol: Navigate to your server settings within DeployHQ and select Docker Build as your server's protocol.

  2. Choose Registry Type: Select your target container registry from the dropdown:

  • Docker Hub
  • Google Container Registry (GCR)
  • GitHub Container Registry (GHCR)
  • Azure Container Registry (ACR)

  1. Enter Credentials: Provide the authentication credentials for your chosen registry (see registry-specific instructions below).

  2. Configure Registry Namespace: Set the namespace/project for your image path:

  • Docker Hub: Your Docker Hub username or organization (defaults to username if not set)
  • GCR: Your Google Cloud project ID (required for GCR)
  • GHCR: Your GitHub username or organization (defaults to username if not set)
  • ACR: Your registry name or login server (required for ACR)
  1. Configure Image Settings:
  • Image Name: The name for your Docker image (without registry prefix or tag)
  • Tag Pattern: How to tag your images (e.g., {revision}, latest, v1.0.{timestamp})
  • Dockerfile Path: Path to your Dockerfile or directory containing it (default: .)
  • Build Arguments: Optional build-time variables in KEY=value format, one per line
  1. Push Settings: Choose whether to push the built image to the registry. Disable this option if you only want to test that your Dockerfile builds successfully.

Registry Configuration

Docker Hub

Docker Hub is the default public registry for Docker images.

Credentials:

  • Username: Your Docker Hub username
  • Password/Token: Your Docker Hub access token (recommended) or password
  • Registry Namespace: (Optional) Your Docker Hub username or organization name. If not set, defaults to your username.

Required Permissions:

When creating an access token, select the following permissions:

  • Read - Required to verify authentication
  • Write - Required to push images

For organization repositories, ensure your Docker Hub account has "Editor" or "Owner" role on the repository.

Creating an Access Token:

  1. Log in to Docker Hub
  2. Go to Account Settings then Security
  3. Click New Access Token
  4. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "DeployHQ")
  5. Select Read and Write access permissions
  6. Click Generate and copy the token for use in DeployHQ

Important: Access tokens are more secure than passwords and are recommended. If your Docker Hub account has 2FA enabled, you must use an access token.

Image Reference Format:

Your images will be pushed as: username/image-name:tag

Google Container Registry (GCR)

GCR is Google Cloud's private container registry integrated with Google Cloud Platform.

Credentials:

  • Username: _json_key (exactly as shown, this is a literal string)
  • Password/Token: Your service account JSON key (the entire JSON content)
  • Registry Namespace: Your Google Cloud project ID (required)

Important: The Registry Namespace field must be set to your GCP project ID (e.g., my-project-123). This is the project where your images will be stored. Do not confuse this with the username field, which is always _json_key for service account authentication.

Required IAM Permissions:

The service account needs the following IAM roles on your Google Cloud project:

| Role | Description | |------|-------------| | roles/storage.objectAdmin | Push and pull images (recommended minimum) | | roles/storage.admin | Full control over GCR bucket (alternative) |

For more granular control, these individual permissions are required:

  • storage.buckets.get - Access the GCR bucket
  • storage.objects.create - Push new image layers
  • storage.objects.delete - Overwrite existing tags
  • storage.objects.get - Verify uploads
  • storage.objects.list - List image layers

Creating Service Account Credentials:

  1. Go to the Google Cloud Console
  2. Navigate to IAM and Admin then Service Accounts
  3. Click Create Service Account
  4. Give it a name (e.g., "deployhq-gcr")
  5. Grant the Storage Object Admin role (roles/storage.objectAdmin)
  6. Click Done to create the service account
  7. Click on the service account, go to Keys tab
  8. Click Add Key then Create new key
  9. Select JSON format and download the key file
  10. Copy the entire JSON content as the password in DeployHQ

Important: The password field should contain the complete JSON object, starting with { and ending with }. Do not extract just the private key.

GCR Endpoint:

DeployHQ uses the gcr.io endpoint for pushes. Your images will be stored in the GCR repository for your project.

Image Reference Format:

Your images will be pushed as: gcr.io/PROJECT_ID/image-name:tag

GitHub Container Registry (GHCR)

GHCR is GitHub's container registry, tightly integrated with GitHub repositories and packages.

Credentials:

  • Username: Your GitHub username
  • Password/Token: A GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) with package permissions
  • Registry Namespace: (Optional) Your GitHub username or organization name. If not set, defaults to your username. Set this to your organization name when pushing to organization packages.

Required Token Scopes:

| Scope | Description | Required | |-------|-------------|----------| | write:packages | Upload packages to GitHub Package Registry | Yes | | read:packages | Download packages from GitHub Package Registry | Yes | | delete:packages | Delete packages (optional, for cleanup) | No |

If your package is linked to a repository, you may also need:

  • repo - Full control of private repositories (for private repo packages)

Creating a Personal Access Token (Classic):

  1. Go to GitHub Settings - Tokens
  2. Click Generate new token then Generate new token (classic)
  3. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "DeployHQ Docker Build")
  4. Set an expiration (or "No expiration" for persistent access)
  5. Select the following scopes:
  • write:packages
  • read:packages
  • repo (if pushing to private repository packages)
  1. Click Generate token
  2. Copy the token immediately (it won't be shown again)

Creating a Fine-grained Personal Access Token:

  1. Go to GitHub Settings - Tokens
  2. Click Generate new token
  3. Give it a descriptive name
  4. Select the repository or organization
  5. Under Permissions, set:
  • Packages: Read and write
  1. Click Generate token

Organization Packages:

For organization-owned packages:

  • Use the organization name as the username
  • Ensure your GitHub account has "Write" or "Admin" access to the package
  • The PAT must be authorized for the organization (SSO authorization if required)

Package Visibility:

  • Public packages can be pulled without authentication
  • Private packages require authentication for both push and pull
  • Package visibility can be set in GitHub package settings

Image Reference Format:

Your images will be pushed as: ghcr.io/OWNER/image-name:tag

Where OWNER is your GitHub username or organization name.

Azure Container Registry (ACR)

ACR is Azure's managed container registry service.

Credentials:

  • Username: Your registry username (admin user) or service principal app ID
  • Password/Token: Your registry password or service principal client secret
  • Registry Namespace: Your registry name (e.g., myregistry) or full login server (e.g., myregistry.azurecr.io) (required)

Image Reference Format:

Your images will be pushed as: myregistry.azurecr.io/image-name:tag

Tag Patterns

DeployHQ supports dynamic tag patterns using placeholders:

| Placeholder | Description | Example Output | |-------------|-------------|----------------| | {revision} | Short commit hash (8 characters) | a1b2c3d4 | | {branch} | Branch name (sanitized) | main, feature-login | | {timestamp} | Build timestamp | 20240115143022 |

Example Patterns:

  • {revision} - Tag with commit hash (default)
  • latest - Always use the latest tag
  • {branch}-{revision} - Include branch name: main-a1b2c3d4
  • v1.0.{timestamp} - Version with timestamp: v1.0.20240115143022

Build Arguments

Pass build-time variables to your Docker build using the Build Arguments field. Enter one argument per line in KEY=value format:

NODE_ENV=production
API_URL=https://api.example.com
BUILD_NUMBER=123

These arguments are passed to docker build using the --build-arg flag and can be referenced in your Dockerfile using ARG instructions.

Build-Only Mode

If you want to test your Dockerfile without pushing to a registry, uncheck the "Push image to registry after build" option. This is useful for:

  • Validating Dockerfile syntax and build process
  • Testing builds before configuring registry credentials
  • CI/CD pipelines where pushing is handled separately

Build Timeout Limits

Docker build durations are capped by plan:

  • Free / Free v2: 15 minutes
  • Deprecated plans / Solo / Pro: 1 hour
  • Business / Enterprise: 3 hours

If a build exceeds the limit, it will be stopped automatically.

Deployment Behavior

Unlike traditional file-based deployments, Docker Build:

  • Does not transfer files to a destination server
  • Builds the Docker image using DeployHQ's build infrastructure
  • Optionally pushes the built image to your configured registry
  • Records the built image reference in deployment metadata

Troubleshooting

Build Fails:

  • Verify your Dockerfile syntax is correct
  • Check that all referenced files exist in your repository
  • Review build logs for specific error messages

Authentication Fails:

  • Verify your credentials are correct
  • For GCR, ensure the entire JSON key is pasted (not just the private key)
  • For GHCR, verify your PAT has the write:packages scope
  • For Docker Hub, use an access token rather than your password
  • For ACR, verify your registry username/password or service principal credentials

Push Fails:

  • Verify you have push permissions to the registry
  • Check that the image name is valid for your registry
  • Ensure your registry quota has not been exceeded
  • For GCR, ensure the Registry Namespace is set to your GCP project ID (not _json_key)