Deploy a website from Git

If your website's code lives in a Git repository, Git deploy can copy it onto your site for you. You save the repository once, then press Deploy now whenever you want the site to match the latest version of your branch. No SFTP upload is needed.

Before you start#

• Add the website in the panel.
• The repository must be public and reachable over https://, for example on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket or any other Git host that offers https addresses. Private repositories are not supported yet; upload those with SFTP instead.
• The repository must contain the finished files your site serves. Build steps such as npm or composer do not run on FiniteHost, so commit the built files (for example your dist folder, or the vendor folder for PHP).

Connect a repository#

1. Open Git deploy. In the panel menu, under Software, choose Git deploy, and pick the website.
2. Enter the repository address, for example https://github.com/acme/website.git. Do not put a user name or token in the address.
3. Enter the branch. It is main unless you type another one.
4. Choose the folder. It must be under sites/<your domain>/. It is sites/acme.in/public unless you change it, which is your site's web root.
5. Press Save repository.

Deploy#

1. Press Deploy now.
2. First deploy: the repository is copied (cloned) into the folder. The folder must be empty; a single placeholder index.html is fine.
3. Later deploys: the latest version of the branch is fetched and the folder is set to match it exactly.

The site changes as soon as the deploy finishes.

Stop using Git deploy#

Press Forget repository. The connection is removed, but the files stay where they are, so your site keeps working. You can then manage the files with the File manager or SFTP.

Troubleshooting#

• The first deploy says the folder is not empty: move or delete the files that are there (a lone index.html placeholder may stay), or choose a different, empty folder.
• The repository cannot be reached: check the address works in a private browser window without signing in. If the repository is private, it cannot be used yet.
• The site shows a blank page or missing styles: the built files are probably not in the repository. Build on your computer and commit the result.
• A file I uploaded disappeared: it was not in the repository, so the deploy removed it. Add it to the repository, or restore it from a backup; see Backups and restore.

What's next#

• Upload your website
• Folder layout
• Redirects and alias domains