> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.primo.build/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deploy with the CLI

> Ship a workspace as an editable CMS (primo deploy) or static site (primo build).

The CLI offers two deployment paths depending on whether you want the deployed site to be editable:

| You want…                               | Use            |
| --------------------------------------- | -------------- |
| A CMS UI collaborators can edit through | `primo deploy` |
| A static site on any static host        | `primo build`  |

## `primo deploy` — Editable CMS

Deploy your entire workspace (every site under `sites/`, plus `library/` and `server.yaml`) as one editable Primo instance:

```bash theme={null}
primo deploy                 # Interactive provider selection
primo deploy -p railway      # Deploy to Railway
primo deploy -p fly          # Deploy to Fly.io
primo deploy --dry-run       # Show what would be deployed
```

**Run from the workspace root** (the directory containing `server.yaml`).

### Railway

Railway is the easiest path — one command, automatic SSL, persistent volume included.

**Prerequisites:**

* [Railway CLI](https://docs.railway.com/guides/cli) installed and logged in (`railway login`)
* A Railway account (\$5/month minimum)

```bash theme={null}
primo deploy -p railway
```

The CLI provisions a Railway project, attaches a persistent volume for `/app/pb_data`, and prints the deployed URL.

### Fly.io

Fly.io has a generous free tier and global edge regions.

**Prerequisites:**

* [Fly CLI](https://fly.io/docs/flyctl/install/) installed (`fly auth login`)
* A Fly.io account

```bash theme={null}
primo deploy -p fly
```

### Updating a Deployed Workspace

Once deployed, push subsequent changes with `primo push`:

```bash theme={null}
primo push https://my-app.up.railway.app
```

See [Push and Pull](/cli/sync) for the full sync workflow.

## `primo build` — Static Site

Build a single site as static HTML/CSS/JS for any static host:

```bash theme={null}
primo build                  # Output to ./dist
primo build -o ./public      # Custom output directory
```

The output is a self-contained folder you can deploy with any static-host CLI:

```bash theme={null}
# Netlify
npx netlify deploy --prod --dir=dist

# Vercel
npx vercel dist

# Cloudflare Pages
npx wrangler pages deploy dist

# Or push to a repo connected to GitHub Pages, Netlify, etc.
```

<Warning>
  Static builds have no CMS — collaborators can't edit content through a UI. Use `primo deploy` if you need editor access.
</Warning>

## Choosing a Host

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Railway (recommended for most teams)">
    * One-command deploy from the CLI
    * Automatic SSL and persistent storage
    * From \$5/month
    * Best for: production sites with collaborators who edit content
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Fly.io">
    * Free tier with 3GB persistent volume
    * Global edge deployment
    * Best for: prototypes, low-traffic sites, regional latency requirements
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="VPS (Hetzner, DigitalOcean)">
    * Full control, lowest cost at scale
    * Manual setup via Docker
    * See the [Deployment Guide](/reference/deployment) for instructions
    * Best for: teams comfortable with Linux and Docker
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Netlify / Vercel / Cloudflare Pages (static)">
    * Free tiers, instant deploys, global CDN
    * **No CMS** — use `primo build` and deploy the static output
    * Best for: marketing sites where content is edited locally and shipped via Git
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Backups

Hosted Primo uses PocketBase's built-in backup system. Configure scheduled backups from `https://your-server.com/_/` under **Settings → Backups**. See the [Deployment Guide](/reference/deployment#database-backups) for details.

For Git-based backups, `primo pull` produces a full snapshot:

```bash theme={null}
primo pull https://my-app.up.railway.app -o ./backup-$(date +%Y%m%d)
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Push and Pull" icon="arrows-rotate" href="/cli/sync">
    Sync changes between local and deployed servers
  </Card>

  <Card title="Deployment Guide" icon="server" href="/reference/deployment">
    Self-host Primo on a VPS or custom infrastructure
  </Card>
</CardGroup>