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Unkey Deploy is currently in private beta. To get access, reach out on Discord or email support@unkey.com.
When you connect a GitHub repository to your project, Unkey deploys your application automatically on every push. No CI/CD pipeline needed. For the initial setup walkthrough, see Deploy your first app.

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Branch-to-environment mapping

Unkey maps branches to environments based on your default branch:
BranchEnvironment
Default branch (typically main)Production
All other branchesPreview
Pushes to the default branch deploy to the production environment. Pushes to any other branch deploy to a preview environment.
Custom branch-to-environment mapping is not yet available. The default branch always maps to production.

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Commit-level deployments

Every push creates an immutable deployment with its own unique domain: 
<project>-<app>-git-<sha>-<workspace>.unkey.app
This domain never changes, even as newer deployments go live. You can use commit domains to test a specific version or share a link to a particular build. In addition to the commit domain, Unkey assigns sticky domains that follow the latest deployment:
  • Branch domain: points to the latest deployment from that branch
  • Environment domain: points to the latest deployment in that environment
  • Live domain (production only): points to the current live deployment
See Wildcard domains for the full domain naming pattern.

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Fork protection

Pull requests from forked repositories are not deployed automatically. A forked PR could modify your Dockerfile or application code to extract environment variable secrets during the build or at runtime. When a PR comes from a fork, Unkey requires an authorized team member to approve the deployment before it runs. This is similar to how Vercel handles fork deployments.

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Watch paths

By default, every push triggers a deployment. If your repository contains code that doesn’t affect your app (for example, documentation or unrelated services in a monorepo), configure watch paths to deploy only when relevant files change. Add glob patterns in your app’s Settings under Watch paths. Unkey skips the deployment if none of the changed files match any pattern.
Watch paths settings

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Troubleshoot failed triggers

If a push doesn’t trigger a deployment:
  1. Verify the Unkey GitHub App is installed on the repository’s organization or account.
  2. Check that the repository is connected in your project’s Settings tab.
  3. If watch paths are configured, confirm that the push includes changes matching at least one pattern.
  4. Check your project’s Deployments tab for a failed deployment with error details.

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Next steps

Deployment lifecycle

How deployments progress from build to serving traffic

App settings

Configure build context, Dockerfile path, and watch paths
Last modified on March 30, 2026