Deploy Command

The slipway slide command deploys your Sails application to production. It's the primary way to get your code running.

Basic Usage

cd my-sails-app
slipway slide

This deploys to the default environment (usually production).

Command Aliases

All these commands do the same thing:

slipway slide      # Primary - "slide into production"
slipway deploy     # Alias
slipway launch     # Alias

Options

Environment

Deploy to a specific environment:

# Deploy to staging
slipway slide --env=staging

# Deploy to production (explicit)
slipway slide --env=production

App

In multi-app environments, target a specific app by slug:

# Deploy the API app
slipway slide --app=api

# Deploy the worker app to staging
slipway slide --env=staging --app=worker

If omitted, the default app in the environment is deployed.

Message

Add a deployment message:

slipway slide --message="Fix login bug"
slipway slide -m "Add new feature"

This message appears in deployment history.

Force Rebuild

Ignore Docker cache and rebuild everything:

slipway slide --no-cache

Useful when:

• Dependencies changed but package-lock.json didn't
• Build is behaving unexpectedly
• Base image updated

Dry Run

See what would happen without actually deploying:

slipway slide --dry-run

Output:

Dry run - no changes will be made

Would deploy:
  Project: my-sails-app
  Environment: production
  Source: 15 files (2.3 MB)
  Dockerfile: ./Dockerfile

Steps:
  1. Package source code
  2. Upload to server
  3. Build Docker image
  4. Run health checks
  5. Switch traffic
  6. Remove old container

Verbose Output

See detailed output:

slipway slide --verbose

Shows:

• Full Docker build output
• Container logs during startup
• Health check details

Quiet Mode

Minimal output:

slipway slide --quiet
slipway slide -q

Only shows errors and the final URL.

Output

Normal Output

$ slipway slide

  Sliding my-sails-app into production

  ✓ Packaging source (2.3 MB)
  ✓ Uploading to server
  ✓ Building image (slipway/myapp:abc123)
  ✓ Starting container
  ✓ Health check passed
  ✓ Updating routes

  ✓ Deployment successful

  Deployment ID: abc123
  URL: https://myapp.example.com
  Duration: 1m 42s

Verbose Output

$ slipway slide --verbose

  Sliding my-sails-app into production

  ▶ Packaging source...
    → Using git archive (respects .gitignore)
    → Files: api/, config/, views/, app.js, Dockerfile, package.json
    → Archive: 2.3 MB
    ✓ Package created

  ▶ Uploading to server...
    → Server: https://slipway.example.com
    → Progress: 100%
    ✓ Upload complete (1.2s)

  ▶ Building image...
    → docker build -t slipway/myapp:abc123 .
    Step 1/8 : FROM node:22-alpine
     ---> abc123def456
    Step 2/8 : WORKDIR /app
     ---> Using cache
    ...
    Successfully built xyz789
    ✓ Image built (45s)

  ▶ Starting container...
    → docker run -d --name myapp-abc123 slipway/myapp:abc123
    → Container ID: container123
    ✓ Container started

  ▶ Running health check...
    → GET http://myapp-abc123:1337/health
    → Attempt 1/3: waiting...
    → Attempt 2/3: 200 OK (healthy)
    ✓ Health check passed (12s)

  ▶ Switching traffic...
    → Updating Caddy routes
    → myapp.example.com → myapp-abc123:1337
    ✓ Traffic switched

  ▶ Cleaning up...
    → Stopping old container myapp-def456
    → Removing old container
    ✓ Cleanup complete

  ✓ Deployment successful

  Deployment ID: abc123
  URL: https://myapp.example.com
  Duration: 1m 42s

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning
0	Success
1	General error
2	Build failed
3	Health check failed
4	Upload failed
5	Authentication error

Use in scripts:

slipway slide && echo "Deploy succeeded" || echo "Deploy failed"

Environment Variables

Required Configuration

The CLI needs to know your server:

# Option 1: Login (stores credentials)
slipway login

# Option 2: Environment variables
export SLIPWAY_SERVER=https://slipway.example.com
export SLIPWAY_TOKEN=your-api-token
slipway slide

CI/CD Example

# .github/workflows/deploy.yml
jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Install Slipway CLI
        run: npm install -g slipway

      - name: Deploy
        env:
          SLIPWAY_SERVER: ${{ secrets.SLIPWAY_SERVER }}
          SLIPWAY_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SLIPWAY_TOKEN }}
        run: slipway slide --message "Deploy from GitHub Actions"

Common Workflows

Deploy and Watch Logs

slipway slide && slipway logs myapp -t

Deploy with Test First

npm test && slipway slide

Deploy to Staging, Then Production

# Deploy to staging
slipway slide --env=staging

# Test staging manually...

# Deploy to production
slipway slide --env=production

Rollback on Failure

slipway slide || slipway rollback myapp

Troubleshooting

"Project Not Found"

slipway slide
# Error: Project not found. Run 'slipway init' first.

Solution:

# Check if .slipway.json exists
cat .slipway.json

# If not, initialize
slipway init

# Or link to existing project
slipway link my-project-slug

"Not Authenticated"

slipway slide
# Error: Not authenticated. Run 'slipway login' first.

Solution:

slipway login

"Build Failed"

slipway slide
# Error: Build failed at step 4

Solution:

1. Check build logs:

   slipway logs myapp --build

2. Test locally:

   docker build -t test .

3. Common fixes:

   • Check package-lock.json is committed
   • Verify Dockerfile syntax
   • Check for missing files

"Health Check Failed"

slipway slide
# Error: Health check failed after 3 attempts

Solution:

1. Check app logs:

   slipway logs myapp

2. Test health endpoint locally:

   curl http://localhost:1337/health

3. Common fixes:

   • Ensure app starts within timeout
   • Check database connections
   • Verify environment variables

"Upload Failed"

slipway slide
# Error: Upload failed: connection refused

Solution:

1. Check server is accessible:

   curl https://slipway.example.com/health

2. Check your network connection

3. Verify server URL:

   slipway whoami

Best Practices

1. Always Use Messages

slipway slide -m "Fix payment processing"

Makes deployment history meaningful.

2. Check Status Before Deploying

slipway app:status myapp
slipway slide

3. Use --dry-run for Important Deploys

slipway slide --dry-run --env=production
# Review output, then:
slipway slide --env=production

4. Script Complex Deployments

#!/bin/bash
# deploy.sh

set -e

echo "Running tests..."
npm test

echo "Deploying to staging..."
slipway slide --env=staging -m "$1"

echo "Waiting for staging to be ready..."
sleep 30

echo "Running smoke tests..."
curl -f https://staging.myapp.example.com/health

echo "Deploying to production..."
slipway slide --env=production -m "$1"

echo "Done!"

Usage:

./deploy.sh "New feature release"

What's Next?

• View Deployment Logs for debugging
• Set up Rollbacks for quick recovery
• Configure Auto-Deploy for CI/CD