Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about deploying with Rock8Cloud.

Getting Started

What do I need to deploy on Rock8Cloud?

Just two things:

• A GitHub repository
• A Dockerfile with an exposed port

That's it - Rock8Cloud handles everything else.

Do I need to know Docker?

No. If you already have a Dockerfile, great - it'll work on Rock8Cloud as-is. If you don't, ask your AI coding agent to create one for you.

Example prompt for your agent:

Create a production-ready Dockerfile for my project.
It should build the app, expose the correct port, and
keep the image as small as possible.

Most agents (Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot) can generate a working Dockerfile from your project structure in seconds. See our Dockerfile Requirements guide for what Rock8Cloud expects.

What languages and frameworks are supported?

Any language that runs in Docker:

• Node.js, Python, Go, Ruby, PHP, Java, .NET
• React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, Nuxt
• Express, Flask, Django, Rails, Laravel
• And many more!

If it has a Dockerfile, we can deploy it.

How long does the first deployment take?

Usually 2-5 minutes, depending on:

• Image size
• Number of dependencies
• Build complexity

Subsequent deployments are faster thanks to build caching.

Deployments

How do deployments work?

1. Push code to GitHub
2. Rock8Cloud receives webhook notification
3. Builds Docker image
4. Pushes to registry
5. Deploys to your environment
6. Runs health checks

See How Rock8Cloud Works for details.

Can I deploy manually?

Yes! On your service's Deployments tab, click Manual deploy to deploy the latest commit from the default branch without pushing.

How do I rollback a deployment?

1. Go to your service's Deployments tab
2. Find the deployment to restore
3. Click Rollback

This redeploys the previous image instantly without rebuilding. See Rollback Deployments for more details including the difference between rollback and rebuild.

Can I cancel a deployment in progress?

Yes, click Cancel on the deployment page. The build/deploy process stops immediately and the previous version continues running.

Databases

What databases do you support?

Currently:

• PostgreSQL (versions 14-17)
• Dragonfly - Redis-compatible in-memory datastore

How do I connect to a database?

1. Add a database to your project
2. Link the exposed environment variables to your service in Deployments → Env Vars
   • PostgreSQL exposes: HOST, PORT, NAME, USER, PASSWORD, URL
   • Dragonfly exposes: HOST, PORT

See Adding a Database for details.

Is my database data persistent?

Yes! Database data persists across:

• Container restarts
• Service redeployments
• Application updates

Data is stored on persistent volumes.

Can I access my database directly?

Databases are network-isolated for security. They're only accessible from services within the same project.

For direct access, you'll need to connect through a service in your project or contact support.

S3 Object Storage

Do you support object storage?

Yes! Rock8Cloud provides S3-compatible object storage. You can deploy an S3 storage service and use it with any S3-compatible client library.

See S3 Object Storage for setup instructions.

Environment Variables

How do I add environment variables?

1. Go to your service page
2. Go to Deployments → Env Vars
3. Click Add Variable
4. Enter key and value
5. Click Save

Saving automatically redeploys your service with the new configuration.

Do preview deployments use different environment variables?

No, preview deployments use the same environment variables as production.

Be careful with preview deployments if your env vars point to production services. Consider using separate staging projects with staging databases and APIs for safe testing.

Domains & URLs

What domain do my apps use?

New apps get a flat address, first come first served, lowercase letters/digits/dashes:

https://your-service-name.rock8cloud.app

Apps created before this shipped keep their <service>-<org-slug>.apps.rock8.cloud address. Move to a new name any time - see Moving an existing app to a new name.

Can I use my own domain?

Yes! You can add a custom domain (e.g., app.yourcompany.com) to any service.

To add a custom domain:

1. Go to your service page
2. Open Deployments → Custom Domain
3. Add your custom domain
4. Copy the displayed DNS target
5. Configure your DNS: a CNAME record pointing at the displayed hostname (recommended), or an A record (IPv4) and/or AAAA record (IPv6) for a root domain
6. Click Verify to confirm DNS is configured correctly

Once verified, your custom domain becomes active. Stable deployments keep serving on both the platform address (*.rock8cloud.app, or *.apps.rock8.cloud for apps created before that shipped) and your verified custom domain, so traffic reaches your service from either address.

v1 Limitations:

• One custom domain per service (no alias lists)
• Manual DNS configuration required (no automated setup)
• No wildcard domains (e.g., *.app.yourcompany.com)
• DNS verification uses CNAME and A/AAAA record lookup only
• Verification may fail temporarily due to DNS propagation, retry if needed

Preview deployments always use auto-generated preview URLs and are not affected by custom domain configuration.

Are SSL certificates included?

Yes! All services get:

• Automatic SSL certificates
• Automatic renewal
• HTTPS by default
• HTTP → HTTPS redirect

No configuration needed.

Why can't I access my deployed app?

Common issues:

• Wait 1-2 minutes after deployment
• Verify port in settings matches Dockerfile's EXPOSE
• Check container logs for errors

GitHub Integration

Which GitHub repositories can I connect?

Any repository where the Rock8Cloud GitHub App is installed:

• Personal repositories
• Organization repositories
• Private repositories
• Public repositories

Can I deploy from GitLab or Bitbucket?

Currently only GitHub is supported. GitLab and Bitbucket support is planned.

Do you support monorepos?

Yes! Deploy multiple services from the same repository by using different Dockerfile paths. Rock8Cloud auto-scans your repository for Dockerfiles during deployment configuration.

We use Rock8Cloud to deploy Rock8Cloud itself, so we're confident it works well with monorepos.

What happens if I delete my GitHub repository?

Your deployed services continue running, but:

• Can't trigger new deployments
• Can't redeploy from GitHub
• Need to reconnect to a different repository

Preview Deployments

What are preview deployments?

Temporary deployments for pull requests. Each PR gets its own URL:

https://pr-123--your-service-name.rock8cloud.app

Apps still on the old apps.rock8.cloud address keep the old preview shape: pr-123-your-service-your-org.apps.rock8.cloud.

Great for testing changes before merging!

How do I enable preview deployments?

1. Go to your service's Workflows tab
2. Enable the Preview Deployments workflow (enabled by default)
3. Configure source branch patterns if needed (defaults to feat/*)

New PRs matching your branch patterns will automatically deploy.

Do preview deployments use the same database?

Yes, preview deployments use the same environment variables as your main deployment, including database connections.

If you need separation, create a separate project or service with its own database for preview/staging purposes.

When are previews deleted?

Automatically when you:

• Close the pull request
• Merge the pull request

No manual cleanup needed!

Security

Are my private repositories secure?

Yes:

• Code is only accessed during builds
• Build contexts are isolated
• Images stored in private registry
• Only your organization members can access

Who can see my deployments?

Only members of your organization in Rock8Cloud. Deployments, logs, and environment variables are private.

Deployed apps (URLs) are publicly accessible if you share the link.

Are databases isolated?

Yes! Databases are network-isolated:

• Only accessible from services in same project
• Not accessible from internet
• Not accessible from other projects

Organization & Teams

Can multiple people access my projects?

Yes! Invite team members to your organization:

• Shared access to all projects
• View deployments and logs
• Trigger deployments
• Manage environment variables

How do I invite team members?

1. Go to Settings
2. Click Members
3. Click Invite Member
4. Enter their email and assign a role
5. They'll receive an invitation

Can I control permissions?

Yes! Rock8Cloud supports three roles: Owner, Admin, and Member. Owners have full access including organization deletion. Admins can manage members and settings. Members can view and deploy.

See Teams and Organizations for the full permissions matrix.

Performance

How do I scale my application?

Two knobs, both per service. Resize the service's CPU and memory allocation in 0.25 vCPU / 256 MiB steps, spending your plan's resource pool. Set both on the service's Resources tab - the replica maximum comes from your plan: 1 on Pluto, Mercury, and Earth, and 2 on Neptune. Replicas multiply the allocation drawn from the pool. See Plans & Usage.

What about auto-scaling?

Auto-scaling based on CPU/memory is planned for future releases.

Where are applications hosted?

Applications run on Rock8Cloud's managed cloud infrastructure.

Pricing & Limits

What plans are available?

Rock8Cloud offers three self-serve plans:

All plans include a free trial. Extra CPU and memory units are available on any plan as fixed-price monthly add-ons. See Plans & Usage for full details.

For organizations that outgrow Earth, contact us about Neptune or our Enterprise tier.

What happens when I hit a limit?

• Resource pool - new deploys and preview environments are parked until resources free up or you buy more CPU/memory. Existing services continue running.
• Build minutes - new builds are rejected. Redeployments of already-built images still work.
• AI budget - code reviews, code analysis, and agents stop starting new runs until the period resets or you buy a top-up.
• Object storage - you cannot create a new bucket or raise a bucket's cap beyond the remaining quota.

See Plans & Usage for details on usage periods and limits.