App services

Git-backed application Services: what you configure, automatic vs manual deploys, and links to integrations and operations.

Written By Zoro

Last updated 3 days ago

An App Service

An App Service is dFlow’s default for web applications you build from a Git repository (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, Gitea, and other supported providers). The platform builds your app, runs it on your Environment’s compute, and can route HTTP traffic to it when you attach domains and proxy settings.

Compare with Docker services (bring your own image) and Database services (managed data engines; detail under Databases under Databases in the sidebar).

What you configure

Typical App Service configuration includes:

  • Source: provider, repository, branch, and whether deploys are manual or automatic (for example via a GitHub App).
  • Build: install and build commands, root directory, and related options shown in the UI.
  • Variables: Service settings for static values, secret(), and reference variables to other Services (especially databases). Database Services do not have a Variables tab; you inject connection strings from the App Service.
  • Scaling, domains, proxy, and volumes when your plan and UI expose them. See Volumes and persistent storage under Deployments and Operations in the sidebar and Deployments and Operations under Deployments and Operations in the sidebar.

Deploy behavior

  • Manual deploy: pushing to the branch does not roll out until you Deploy or Redeploy from the dashboard (exact labels vary).
  • Automatic deploy: supported paths (for example some GitHub App setups) trigger a new deployment when you push to the configured branch.

Provider-specific steps live under Git source integrations under Integrations in the sidebar and GitHub integration under Integrations in the sidebar.

Connecting to databases

Use Reference variables on the App Service Variables tab to point at a database Service’s internal (or public) fields without copy-pasting secrets. See Service settings and Databases overview under Databases in the sidebar.

If deploy or runtime fails

  • Deployment issues under Troubleshooting in the sidebar
  • Logs under Deployments and Operations in the sidebar and Logs and debugging under Troubleshooting in the sidebar
  • Environment variable issues under Troubleshooting in the sidebar if configuration looks wrong at runtime
  • Integration issues under Troubleshooting in the sidebar for Git or token problems

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