---
title: "How to deploy an app with one command"
description: "Deploy a prepared single app with one synchronous Ample command and get a live or failed result without polling."
canonical_url: "https://ample.computer/guides/deploy-app-one-command"
last_updated: "2026-07-30"
author: "Ample Computer"
---

# How to deploy an app with one command

Deploy a prepared single app with one synchronous Ample command and get a live or failed result without polling.

## The short version

After Ample is installed and authenticated, a prepared single app can be deployed from its project directory with ample deploy. The command is synchronous: it exits when the release is live or failed. If the source and configuration are unchanged, the next run is a content-addressed no-op that returns the existing live URL.

## Who this is for

This guide is for builders with one deployable app at the repo root who want the shortest path from source to a live result.

## How to do it

1. **Open the app directory.** Run the command from the directory that contains the app's package files and production source.

2. **Deploy.** For a single public web app, Ample detects the common build and start path and waits for the release.

   ```sh
   ample deploy
   ```

3. **Read the final result.** Exit code 0 means live, 1 means failed, and 2 means a required preflight action is unresolved. JSON output includes status, unchanged, deployment_id, and server_id.

4. **Diagnose a failure before retrying.** A failed deploy is not a status to poll. Read the relevant logs, fix the cause, and deploy the changed source.

   ```sh
   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build
   ```

## What this supports

- A single app at the project root
- Automatic detection for common builds and runtimes
- Public URLs for web and static apps
- Content-addressed no-op redeploys

## Know the limits

- Multi-service repos should be planned and applied with ample plan and ample up
- Ambiguous runtimes may require an explicit plan or runtime
- A failed unchanged release needs a source fix or an intentional force retry

## Common failure modes

- **The command exits with code 2** Resolve the named preflight or plan question before deploying.
- **The build succeeds but activation fails** Read runtime logs and confirm the start command, PORT binding, and health path.
- **You need to reactivate unchanged source** Use ample deploy --force only when you intentionally want a fresh rebuild and activation.

## Related guides

- [How to deploy a vibe-coded app](https://ample.computer/guides/deploy-vibe-coded-app)
- [How to redeploy after changing an AI-built app](https://ample.computer/guides/redeploy-ai-built-app)
- [What is a deployment agent?](https://ample.computer/guides/deployment-agent)

## Machine-readable resources

- [llms.txt](https://ample.computer/llms.txt) | [AGENTS.md](https://ample.computer/AGENTS.md) | [sitemap.md](https://ample.computer/sitemap.md) | [OpenAPI](https://ample.computer/openapi.json)