1# Deployment
2 
3Guide for deploying MCP servers to production.
4 
5## ⚠️ FIRST: Ensure the User is Logged In
6 
7**Before any deployment command, always verify authentication:**
8 
9```bash
10mcp-use whoami
11```
12 
13If this fails or the user has never logged in, run `mcp-use login` first — it opens a browser for OAuth.
14 
15**Non-interactive / agent contexts:** if you were handed a one-time device code
16(e.g. from the web onboarding flow), authenticate without a browser:
17 
18```bash
19mcp-use login --device-code <CODE>
20```
21 
22The code is short-lived and already approved, so the CLI redeems it immediately.
23 
24---
25 
26## Quick Deploy (Manufact Cloud)
27 
28There are two ways to deploy, depending on where the code should live.
29 
30### Option A — Managed repo (no GitHub required)
31 
32Best for getting live fast, or when the user hasn't connected GitHub. The CLI
33uploads your local source; the repo is created in the platform-managed org and
34deployed through the normal pipeline:
35 
36```bash
37mcp-use deploy --no-github
38```
39 
40No git remote, no GitHub App install. The user can later move it to their own
41GitHub from the server's dashboard ("Connect your GitHub").
42 
43### Option B — Your own GitHub
44 
45Deploys from a repository in the user's GitHub account (enables push-to-deploy):
46 
47```bash
48mcp-use deploy
49```
50 
51Or via the npm script (pre-configured in all templates):
52 
53```bash
54npm run deploy
55```
56 
57Either way, your server is live at `https://{slug}.run.mcp-use.com/mcp`.
58 
59---
60 
61## Prerequisites
62 
63**No-GitHub deploy (`--no-github`)** only needs you to be **logged in** (`mcp-use whoami`).
64No git, no GitHub App — the CLI uploads your local source directly.
65 
66**GitHub deploy** (`mcp-use deploy` without `--no-github`) additionally needs:
67 
681. **Git repository** — your project must be a git repo
692. **GitHub remote** — the `origin` remote must point to GitHub (SSH or HTTPS)
703. **Changes pushed** — deployment pulls from GitHub, not your local files. Commit and push first.
714. **GitHub App installed** — the mcp-use GitHub App must have access to the repo. The CLI prompts you to install it if missing, or install it at `github.com/apps/mcp-use/installations/new`.
72 
73---
74 
75## Deploy Options
76 
77```bash
78mcp-use deploy [options]
79```
80 
81| Flag                  | Description                                                  | Default                               |
82| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- |
83| `--no-github`         | Upload local source without connecting GitHub                | `false`                               |
84| `--org <slug>`        | Deploy to a specific organization (by slug or id)            | configured org                        |
85| `--name <name>`       | Custom deployment name                                       | `package.json` name or directory name |
86| `--port <port>`       | Server port                                                  | `3000`                                |
87| `--runtime <runtime>` | `"node"` or `"python"`                                       | Auto-detected from project files      |
88| `--env <KEY=VALUE>`   | Set environment variable value (repeatable)                  | —                                     |
89| `--env-file <path>`   | Load env vars from a file                                    | —                                     |
90| `--branch <name>`     | Deploy branch; also scopes `--env`/`--env-file` to its preview | current git branch                  |
91| `--open`              | Open deployment in browser after success                     | `false`                               |
92| `--new`               | Force a fresh deployment (ignore existing link)              | `false`                               |
93| `-y, --yes`           | Skip confirmation prompts (non-interactive / CI / agents)    | `false`                               |
94 
95> Redeploys of a platform-managed project are auto-detected from the linked server, so
96> `--no-github` is only needed on the first deploy.
97 
98### Setting Environment Variables
99 
100```bash
101# Inline
102mcp-use deploy --env API_KEY=sk-xxx --env DATABASE_URL=postgres://...
103 
104# From file
105mcp-use deploy --env-file .env.production
106```
107 
108**NEVER commit secrets to git.** Use `--env` or `--env-file` for API keys, database URLs, and other sensitive values.
109 
110After the server exists, manage env vars (and other config) without redeploying:
111 
112```bash
113# Env vars (production scope, or scope to a branch's preview with --branch)
114mcp-use servers env list   --server <id>
115mcp-use servers env add    API_KEY=sk-xxx --server <id> --env production,preview
116mcp-use servers env update API_KEY --server <id> --value sk-yyy   # by KEY or UUID
117mcp-use servers env rm     API_KEY --server <id>
118 
119# Server config in place (no delete/recreate): production branch, name, commands
120mcp-use servers update <id> --branch main --build-command "npm run build"
121# Clear a build/start override: pass an empty string (--build-command "")
122```
123 
124---
125 
126## Common Mistakes
127 
128- ❌ Running `mcp-use deploy` without verifying auth first
129  - ✅ Always run `mcp-use whoami` before deploying — run `mcp-use login` if needed
130- ❌ Running `mcp-use deploy` with uncommitted/unpushed changes
131  - ✅ The cloud builds from GitHub — always `git push` first
132- ❌ Hardcoding secrets in code or committing `.env`
133  - ✅ Use `--env` / `--env-file` flags, or `mcp-use servers env add KEY=VALUE --server <id>`
134- ❌ Forgetting to install the mcp-use GitHub App on the repo
135  - ✅ The CLI will prompt you, but you can also install it at `github.com/apps/mcp-use` — or skip GitHub entirely with `mcp-use deploy --no-github`
136- ❌ Running `mcp-use start` without `mcp-use build` first
137  - ✅ Always build before starting in production
138