## The short version

After Ample is installed and authenticated, a prepared single app can be deployed from its project directory with ample deploy. The command is synchronous: it exits when the release is live or failed. If the source and configuration are unchanged, the next run is a content-addressed no-op that returns the existing live URL.

## Before you start

This guide is for builders with one deployable app at the repo root who want the shortest path from source to a live result.

## How to do it

1. 1

### Open the app directory
   
   Run the command from the directory that contains the app's package files and production source.

2. 2

### Deploy
   
   For a single public web app, Ample detects the common build and start path and waits for the release.
   
   ```
   ample deploy
   ```

3. 3

### Read the final result
   
   Exit code 0 means live, 1 means failed, and 2 means a required preflight action is unresolved. JSON output includes status, unchanged, deployment_id, and server_id.

4. 4

### Diagnose a failure before retrying
   
   A failed deploy is not a status to poll. Read the relevant logs, fix the cause, and deploy the changed source.
   
   ```
   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build
   ```

## What this supports

### Good fit

- A single app at the project root
- Automatic detection for common builds and runtimes
- Public URLs for web and static apps
- Content-addressed no-op redeploys

### Know the limits

- Multi-service repos should be planned and applied with ample plan and ample up
- Ambiguous runtimes may require an explicit plan or runtime
- A failed unchanged release needs a source fix or an intentional force retry

## Common failure modes

### The command exits with code 2

Resolve the named preflight or plan question before deploying.

### The build succeeds but activation fails

Read runtime logs and confirm the start command, PORT binding, and health path.

### You need to reactivate unchanged source

Use ample deploy --force only when you intentionally want a fresh rebuild and activation.