How to put your first app online without managing a server
Move from localhost to an HTTPS URL: prepare your project, check its services, choose a pod and verify the first deployment.
2 minRead guide →
Your code works. What comes next?
Simple answers to help you launch your app, keep your data and understand what's happening.
What is an app pod? Your frontend, backend and data together
Understand the App Cities pod: an isolated home for your Docker services, not an empty VPS or a database you have to buy separately.
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Docker Compose for beginners: a deployment plan for your app
Learn what services, images, builds, variables and volumes mean in a Compose file before uploading a project.
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How to connect a frontend to its backend after deployment
Avoid localhost and CORS mistakes by separating browser URLs from private Docker service addresses.
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Running a database alongside your app: what to prepare
Plan database connections, persistent storage, initialization and recovery before deploying an app with real data.
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Why localhost stops working when your app moves into Docker
Diagnose connection refused errors by identifying which container or browser a localhost address refers to.
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Dockerfile vs Docker Compose: what your project actually needs
Understand image building versus service orchestration, and when a single Dockerfile is enough for a deployment.
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Environment variables and secrets: deploy without leaking keys
Separate public configuration from private credentials and keep secrets out of uploads, images, logs and AI chats.
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Docker volumes: keep app data outside disposable containers
Understand named volumes, database paths and the difference between restarting a service and protecting data.
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How to read a failed Docker build without guessing
Find the first useful error, separate build failures from runtime failures and give your AI a focused debugging request.
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How to choose the right pod size for your app
Choose Base, M, L or XL by what your app needs, then check its RAM and CPU use with real tasks.
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Deploy with MCP: what your AI can do, and what you approve
Connect your AI to App Cities, prepare a project and keep control of spending and changes.
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What to include in a project ZIP before deployment
Make a clean project archive with the code and build files, without dependencies, secrets or local clutter.
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Health checks: how to know your app is ready
Check more than a running container before sharing your app's HTTPS link.
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Updating your app safely: code rollback is not data rollback
Plan updates without confusing an older app version with a restored database.
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Connecting your own domain to an app with HTTPS
Use the platform's DNS instructions, verify ownership and test the finished HTTPS address.
1 minRead guide →
A backup only helps if you can restore it
Make a simple recovery plan for your app files, database and settings, then test it away from production.
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Prepaid credits: how to keep control of your app's cost
Understand your balance, pod usage, spending approval and what happens when credits run out.
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Why an app build needs limits too
Understand why install scripts and Docker builds must be isolated, timed and limited before code reaches a pod.
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Before you share your app: a simple launch checklist
Check access, data, costs, email, HTTPS and recovery before inviting your first real users.
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