# Deploy your first app

> End-to-end walkthrough: pick an image, fill a short form, watch it go live. About five minutes.

This guide takes you from a container image to a live URL. You should already have an Ownkube account, a [connected AWS account](/docs/guides/connect-aws), a [cluster](/docs/guides/create-cluster), and a [registry](/docs/features/registries).

Open the create-deployment flow from your [dashboard](https://app.ownkube.io/dashboard) to follow along.

## Before you start

- A **cluster** in the active state
- A **connected registry or GitHub repository** with at least one image built and pushed (Amazon ECR, a build from your GitHub repository, or a public image)
- The **image tag** you want to deploy (e.g. `v1.4.2`, a git SHA, or `latest`)
- The **port** your app listens on

## Create the deployment

1. **Open the create-deployment page**

   Open the create-deployment flow from your [dashboard](https://app.ownkube.io/dashboard).

2. **Pick a resource type**

   - **Web**, HTTP service with an optional public hostname
   - **Worker**, long-running background process, no HTTP endpoint
   - **Job**, runs to completion; add a cron schedule for repeat runs
   - **Database**, managed PostgreSQL (see [Databases](/docs/features/databases))

   Pick **Web** for this walkthrough.

3. **Pick a target**

   - **Cluster**, any active cluster in your organization
   - **Environment**, `Development` or `Production` by default, or create a new one inline. See [Environments](/docs/features/environments).

4. **Configure the container**

   - **Registry**, one of your connected registries
   - **Repository**, autocompletes from the registry (e.g. `your-org/api`)
   - **Tag**, autocompletes from the repository. Pin a specific tag like `v1.4.2` instead of `latest`. It makes every deploy traceable to a known image.
   - **Port**, the port your app listens on (e.g. `3000`)

5. **Add environment variables**

   Any number of `KEY=value` pairs. Flip the **Secret** toggle on individual entries to mask sensitive values in the UI. See [Environment variables](/docs/guides/environment-variables) for the full reference.

6. **Toggle public exposure (web only)**

   Turn on **Make this deployment public** to get a generated hostname with automatic TLS.

7. **(Optional) Set resources and health probes**

   You can leave resources blank to start. For health probes, a readiness probe pointed at `/health` or `/ready` is typically enough for a web app. See [Deployments](/docs/features/deployments) for the full field list.

8. **Click Create deployment**

   The detail page opens with live status. You'll see image pull, startup, and health-check progression in real time.

## Verify it's running

When the deployment reaches **healthy** on the **Overview** tab:

1. Click the generated hostname (under **Public hostname** if you toggled public on)
2. You should see your app

If the status is **degraded**, a health probe is failing. Open the **Overview** tab and look at the live event stream. The failure reason is surfaced there. Common causes:

- App listens on a different port than the one you configured
- Health-check path returns a non-2xx status
- Container crashes on startup. Check that the image tag is correct and the required env vars are set.

## What happens on subsequent deploys

Push a new image to your registry, then come back to your [dashboard](https://app.ownkube.io/dashboard), click your deployment, go to **Settings**, update the **Tag** field, and **Save**. The platform rolls a new version out. New containers come up, pass health checks, and take traffic while the old ones drain.

No separate "deploy button", no pipeline config to maintain.

- [Environment variables](/docs/guides/environment-variables)
- [Databases](/docs/features/databases)

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