What is deploy? How to put your app online

What "deploy" means

Deploy (or "deployment") is the process of putting your application online — that is, taking the code that works on your computer and making it available on a server accessible over the internet, 24 hours a day. When someone says "I'm going to deploy", they mean they'll publish the application so others can use it.

Why running on your PC isn't enough

On your computer, the application is only available while:

• the program is open and running;
• the computer is on;
• you're connected to the internet.

Close the terminal or turn off the PC, and everything goes down. That's why we use hosting (host/cloud): a server that stays on all the time, with stable internet, running your application without interruptions.

Types of application you can "deploy"

• Sites and front-ends (HTML, React, Vue, etc.).
• APIs and back-ends (Node, Python, etc.).
• Bots (Discord, Telegram, etc.).
• Databases and supporting services.

Each type has its particularities, but the idea is the same: send the code to a server and keep it running.

What a deploy looks like on Square Cloud

In general, the flow is:

1. Prepare your project (with the squarecloud.app config file).
2. Send the code (via the Dashboard or the CLI).
3. Set the environment variables, if any.
4. Square Cloud starts your application and keeps it online.

For the detailed step-by-step, see Making your first deploy via Dashboard.

Choose your guide

Now that you understand the concept, choose the specific guide for what you want to put online:

• Static site? See How to deploy a static site (HTML, React, Vite).
• Discord bot? See How to host a Discord bot.
• Telegram bot? See How to host a Telegram bot 24/7.
• A specific API or framework (Next, Flask, Django, etc.)? We have a guide for each one.

Not sure which plan to choose? See Understanding the differences between plans.

Updated on: 06/13/2026