---
title: "How to redeploy after changing an AI-built app"
description: "Release source or configuration changes with Ample, understand unchanged no-op deploys, and inspect failures before retrying."
canonical_url: "https://ample.computer/guides/redeploy-ai-built-app"
last_updated: "2026-07-30"
author: "Ample Computer"
---

# How to redeploy after changing an AI-built app

Release source or configuration changes with Ample, understand unchanged no-op deploys, and inspect failures before retrying.

## The short version

After changing an AI-built app, run the same Ample deploy workflow again. Ample hashes the packaged files, build configuration, and environment, then compares them with the live release. A real change creates a new release. No change returns unchanged: true and the current live URL without rebuilding.

## Who this is for

This guide is for builders shipping a second or later version of an app that is already live on Ample.

## How to do it

1. **Make and verify the change.** Ask the coding agent to run the smallest relevant local check before deployment. Commit the change if that is part of your repo workflow.

2. **Reuse the recorded plan.** If the repo has ample.toml, keep it aligned with any service, database, volume, domain, or environment changes.

3. **Deploy once.** For a single service, run ample deploy. For a planned multi-service topology, run ample up so dependencies are applied in order.

   ```sh
   ample deploy
   ```

4. **Read unchanged correctly.** An unchanged result is a successful no-op. It means the live release already matches the packaged content and deployment configuration.

5. **Force only for intentional reactivation.** Use force when unchanged source must be rebuilt and reactivated, such as recovering a live release that is misbehaving at runtime.

   ```sh
   ample deploy --force
   ```

## What this supports

- Content-addressed release comparison
- No-op results for unchanged live source
- Saved deployment targeting and configuration
- Intentional forced rebuilds

## Know the limits

- A blind retry does not fix a failed release
- Force rebuilds unchanged source and should be intentional
- Infrastructure changes should be reflected in the plan

## Common failure modes

- **The deploy says unchanged but you expected new code** Confirm the edited file is inside the deploy root and is not excluded from packaging.
- **The new release fails** Read its build or runtime logs, fix the cause, and deploy the changed source.
- **A prior start command disappeared** Check the saved config or ample.toml and pin the intended start command when detection is not sufficient.

## Related guides

- [How to deploy an app with one command](https://ample.computer/guides/deploy-app-one-command)
- [What to do when an app works locally but not in production](https://ample.computer/guides/works-locally-not-production)
- [How to connect a custom domain to an AI-built app](https://ample.computer/guides/custom-domain-ai-built-app)

## 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)