Static sites

Use a static app unit when your project builds files and does not need a running app container.

To make an app static, omit the runtime section.

type: app
image: node:22-alpine

builds:
  - files: ["package.json", "package-lock.json"]
    script: npm ci

  - files: ["*"]
    env:
      PUBLIC_API_URL: https://api.example.com
    script: npm run build

exports:
  - source: /app/dist
    path: /

Builds run in /app, the container’s working directory, so exports.source points to the build output under it (/app/dist for the example above).

Then serve it with a domain unit:

type: domain
server: nginx
hosts: ["example.com"]
routes:
  - kind: serve_files
    location: /
    root: ${site:export}
    spa: true

What happens during deploy

dpl builds the image, copies exported files to the HTTP server state directory, and updates the domain config.

It does not start a service for the static app.

Because there is no runtime:

• no port is available
• no health check runs
• timers are skipped
• ${site:url} and ${site:socket} are not valid
• ${site:export} is valid after the app has an active deployment

To run a service that has no port but still needs a container, keep runtime and omit port instead. See Runtime without a port.

How to use spa

Set spa: true in domain settings for apps that need all unknown routes to return index.html.

routes:
  - kind: serve_files
    location: /
    root: ${site:export}
    spa: true

Leave it false for plain file trees, downloads, and assets.