Creating deployments

Easel can create deployments from Git activity, local source code, and the dashboard.

The method you choose determines where the source comes from. The deployment environment determines which project configuration Easel uses during the build.

Deploy from Git

For a Git-connected project, Easel creates deployments when you push commits to the connected repository.

The production branch is selected in Project settings → Environments.

A new commit creates a new deployment. Easel does not modify a previously created deployment in place.

When an open pull request exists for the head branch, Easel also associates a pull request preview URL with the Preview deployment. See Git deployments for branch behavior, skip controls, and monorepos.

Deploy from the CLI

Use the Easel CLI to create a deployment from a local project directory.

easel deploy

CLI deployments default to Preview. Deploy to Production with:

easel deploy --prod

In CI, pass --yes (or -y) with --prod to skip the production confirmation prompt.

Before deploying, the CLI may ask you to:

• Sign in
• Select a workspace
• Link the directory to an existing project
• Create a project

The CLI uploads the project source (or a prebuilt output with --prebuilt), then prints the deployment URL. Use --wait to wait for a terminal status. See Deploy from the CLI for full options.

Deploy from the dashboard

From the project overview, Deploy creates a Production deployment from the current HEAD of the production branch.

Deploy a specific branch or commit

Git-connected projects deploy the revision that triggered the push.

To deploy a different revision:

• Push the revision to a tracked branch
• Check out the revision locally and run easel deploy
• Promote a Preview deployment to production (rebuilds that commit with Production configuration)

First deployment

There is no special first-deployment rule. The environment follows the usual mapping:

• Git: production branch → Production; any other branch → Preview
• CLI: Preview by default; --prod for Production
• Dashboard Deploy: Production from the production branch HEAD

A project receives generated Easel hostnames when deployments become Ready. Custom domains are not assigned automatically; attach them in Project settings → Custom Domains. See Domains.

A Preview deployment can exist before the first Production deployment.

Build configuration

A deployment snapshots the project settings and environment variables available for its environment when the deployment is created.

This includes:

• Framework preset
• Root directory
• Install command
• Build command
• Output directory
• Runtime configuration
• Environment variables for that environment

Changing project settings or environment variables does not alter an already completed deployment. New settings apply to later deployments.

After creating a deployment

Once created, a deployment moves through its lifecycle:

1. Queued — waiting for build capacity
2. Provisioning — preparing the build environment
3. Building — installing dependencies and producing application output
4. Assigning domains — publishing output and assigning URLs
5. Ready — available through its deployment URL
6. Failed, Canceled, or Skipped — the deployment did not become ready

See Managing deployments for status details and available actions.