1.6 Deploying Your App

Time: ~30 minutes

What You'll Learn

• How to put your app on the internet for free
• How deployment platforms work at a high level
• How to set up environment variables (database passwords, API keys)
• How to connect a custom domain (optional)
• What to check after going live

Key Concepts

Deploying means taking the app that works on your computer and making it available at a real URL that anyone can visit. Modern platforms make this surprisingly simple.

How Deployment Works

1. You push your code to GitHub (your AI will help you with this)
2. A hosting platform (like Vercel) detects the change
3. It builds your app and puts it online
4. You get a URL like your-app-name.vercel.app
5. Every time you make changes and push again, it updates automatically

What You Need

• A GitHub account -- Free. This is where your code lives.
• A Vercel account -- Free. This is where your app runs. (Alternatives: Netlify, Railway)
• Your environment variables -- Database URL, admin password, any API keys

Post-Launch Checklist

After deploying, test everything:

• Can you access the public page from your phone?
• Does the form submit successfully?
• Does the data appear in your admin dashboard?
• Does the admin password gate work?
• Does it look right on both desktop and mobile?

If something is broken, do not panic. Tell your AI what you see and it will help you fix it.

Custom Domains (Optional)

If you want your app at intake.yourbusiness.com instead of your-app.vercel.app, you can connect a custom domain. Your AI can walk you through the DNS setup -- it takes about 10 minutes and your domain registrar's dashboard.

How to Start

Tell your AI:

My app is ready to deploy. I need help:
1. Setting up a GitHub repository for my code
2. Connecting it to Vercel (or your chosen host)
3. Setting up my environment variables
4. Going live

Walk me through each step. I've never done this before.

What's Next

Congratulations -- your app is live. In Module 2, you will learn to iterate on it, understand costs, design for real users, and maintain it over time. Head to Module 2: Making It Real.