INFRASTRUCTURE

What it needs

• Compute: verified (Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.)

PREREQUISITES

Before you start

• Code that reads configuration from process.env
• The secret values at hand for --env or an env file
• An Ample account token with servers:write

TESTED CONFIGURATION

Exactly what was tested

• build: npm run build --if-present
• install: npm install
• runtime: node
• size: s-1vcpu-1gb
• start: node server.js
• template: node-22

STEP BY STEP

How to do it

1. 1

   Declare, do not commit

In ample.toml declare SMTP_KEY = { secret = true } style entries; never put literal secrets in the manifest.

2. 2

   Pass values on deploy

Use --env KEY=value (repeatable) or --env-file .env.production; values are encrypted at rest and re-used on redeploys.

   ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --env DATABASE_URL=postgres://...

3. 3

   Confirm without echoing

Expose a route that reports which variables are set (host names, not values) and check it.

4. 4

   Verify

Fetch the live URL and run the success checks below. On failure read the build log, then the runtime log, fix the cause and deploy again; do not blind-retry.

   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build

EXAMPLES

Tested examples

• Encrypted DATABASE_URL canary (tests/deploy-canaries/env-database-url): /db reports the configured host with secret=false, proving delivery without disclosure.

SUCCESS CHECKS

How to know it worked

• app sees the configured variable without exposing it (/db on the live URL, expect secret=false)

LIMITATIONS

Know the limits

• Verified on the node-22 template at s-1vcpu-1gb; other templates and sizes are not verified by this recipe.
• Region, compliance attestations and request-duration limits are unknown and not claimed.
• Apps auto-pause when idle and wake on the next request; always-on is an operator setting, not a plan feature.
• Plain env in the API request is rejected; only the encrypted path is supported.
• Rotating a secret requires a redeploy with the new value.

COST

Cost estimate

Estimated 5.00 USD per month (size prices from pricing.toml at build revision a1b8c38919e59cd035ebabaced73cf84ece24371).

• app server x1 s-1vcpu-1gb: 5.00 USD

Apps and managed databases auto-pause when idle; the estimate is the always-on monthly price of the tested sizes. Plan quotas and budgets apply.

EVIDENCE

Verification evidence

• canary_run on 2026-09-19T23:55:33Z at revision 1764076-tls-account-903d345: A supplied DATABASE_URL was delivered as an encrypted environment variable; the app saw the configured host and the secret was never echoed by the platform. (expires 2027-03-18T23:55:33Z)
• canary_run on 2026-09-19T23:55:33Z at revision 1764076-tls-account-903d345: Express app with npm install and npm run start deployed on the node-22 template; the public URL served the expected response. (expires 2027-03-18T23:55:33Z)

EXECUTION

Execution binding

MCP tool ample_deploy (registry mcp:ample_deploy), schema hash 876465fce906da0c observed 2026-09-20T01:55:48.667900+00:00 at revision 199ff1dfd526. Binding state at export: current. Required scopes: servers:write.

NEXT ACTIONS

Typed next actions

• Browse the catalog index (GET /v1/catalog on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints (POST /v1/catalog/search on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project (POST /v1/catalog/plan on the api origin; authentication required, approval not required)
• Read the existing agent authentication setup (GET /mcp/setup on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Express (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-express on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Configure deployment (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Aconfigure-deployment on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Public web service (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/pattern%3Apublic-web-service on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)

Actions describe possible next steps. They are typed data, not commands, and grant no permission. Public discovery never provisions anything; planning requires your own authenticated token and approval happens in your client.