What is git push deploy?
Git push deploy means that pushing commits to a branch automatically builds and releases your app. The host watches the repository, receives a webhook on push, pulls the new commit, installs dependencies, runs the build, and restarts the process. Heroku popularised the pattern and nearly every app platform now offers it.
How does git push deploy work under the hood?
You connect a repository and pick a branch. GitHub sends a webhook when that branch changes. The platform pulls the commit onto the server, installs dependencies, runs your build command, and restarts the app process. Deploy logs record each step, so a failure names the command that failed rather than just showing a red mark.
- Push to the connected branch.
- The webhook fires and the platform fetches the commit.
- Dependencies install, the build command runs.
- The process restarts and the new version serves traffic.
What is the difference from CI/CD?
Git push deploy is the release half. CI is the checking half: running tests, linting and type checks before anything ships. Most teams want both, with CI as a gate in front of the deploy. On a small project the deploy alone is often enough, and adding tests later does not change the deploy setup.
InstaPods connects a GitHub repository to a pod and auto-deploys on push, with per-deploy logs kept on the pod for debugging. Source: InstaPods git deployment docs, verified 2026-08-06
How do you roll back a bad deploy?
The git-native way: push a revert commit, which triggers the same pipeline and ships the previous code as a new release. On a pod you also have the direct route, since SSH lets you check out the last good commit and restart the service while you work out what broke.
Where git push deploy shows up on InstaPods
Related terms
Try it on a real server
InstaPods gives you a pod with SSH access, automatic HTTPS and persistent disk from $3/mo. One command from your project folder.
Deploy your first pod