Deploy Your First Project

This tutorial walks you through deploying a Python backend on Phemeral end-to-end. You will create a project, connect a GitHub repository, map a branch, and push a commit to trigger your first deployment.

Prerequisites

• A Phemeral account with a connected GitHub account.
• A GitHub repository containing a Python backend using FastAPI, Flask, or Django. See Supported Frameworks for details.

Step 1: Create a Project

When you first sign up, Phemeral creates a default Launchpad project with Production, Staging, and Development environments. You can use this project or create a new one:

1. From the dashboard, click New Project.
2. Enter a project name.
3. Optionally, add any environment variables your application needs (e.g. DATABASE_URL, SECRET_KEY). These are added to the Development environment. You can also add environment-specific variables later. See Manage Environment Variables.
4. Click Create.

You are redirected to the project page.

Step 2: Connect a GitHub Repository

1. On your project page, go to the Settings tab.
2. In the GitHub Repository section, select the repository you want to deploy from the dropdown. This list shows repositories that Phemeral has access to.
3. Confirm the connection.

The project is now linked to your repository.

If your app later needs a different runtime command than the one Phemeral detects automatically, you can override it from the project's Settings tab. See Set a Custom Start Command.

Step 3: Map a Branch to an Environment

Still on the Settings tab:

1. Find the Branch Mappings section.
2. Select a branch from your repository (e.g. main).
3. Select the environment to deploy to (e.g. Development).
4. Save the mapping.

From now on, every push to the mapped branch triggers an automatic deployment to that environment.

Step 4: Push Code and Deploy

Push a commit to the branch you mapped (e.g. main):

git add .
git commit -m "Initial deployment"
git push origin main

Phemeral receives the push event via the GitHub webhook and starts a deployment.

Step 5: Monitor the Deployment

1. Navigate to your project in the dashboard.
2. Open the Deployments tab or click the latest deployment.
3. Watch the build progress and view logs.

When the status changes to Successful, your deployment is live.

Step 6: Visit Your Deployment

Every successful deployment receives a URL in the format:

{deployment-id}.phemeral.app

Click the deployment URL in the dashboard to visit your running application.

If you assigned a custom domain to the environment, that domain also points to the new deployment. See Configure Custom Domains.

Next Steps

• Set Up GitHub Continuous Deployment — Map multiple branches to different environments.
• Manage Environment Variables — Add secrets and configuration to your environments.
• Configure Custom Domains — Give your environment a memorable subdomain.