---
title: Deploy Your App
description: Deploy your Polkadot Product to the playground using the playground CLI — build, upload, and publish your app on-chain and register a .dot name.
categories:
- Apps
url: https://docs.polkadot.com/apps/deploy-your-app/
word_count: 1121
token_estimate: 2014
version_hash: sha256:208f5cdd47539472644247cca2bd9f9162df9727ef029757443e8593db355961
last_updated: '2026-06-16T14:17:44+00:00'
---

# Deploy Your App

## Introduction

This page covers how to build and deploy a Polkadot Product using the `playground` CLI. By the end, your app bundle will be uploaded to the Bulletin Chain, registered under a `.dot` name, and discoverable in the Polkadot playground.

## Prerequisites

Before deploying, ensure you have:

- Complete [Install Desktop and Pair](/apps/get-started/) and [Get TestNet Tokens](/apps/get-started/get-testnet-tokens/); your account needs PAS funds and a Bulletin Chain authorization. If you have not obtained a Bulletin Chain authorization yet, request one from the [Bulletin Chain authorization page](https://paritytech.github.io/polkadot-bulletin-chain/authorizations)
- A Polkadot Product project running locally. See [Set Up Your Project](/apps/build/#set-up-your-project)

## Build Your App Bundle

Run `playground build` to compile your project into a deployable bundle.

<div id="termynal" data-termynal>
  <span data-ty="input"><span class="file-path"></span>playground build</span>
</div>

The CLI auto-detects your project type and runs the appropriate build. The output is a set of static files (HTML, JS, CSS, assets) that will be uploaded in the next step.

!!! tip
    If you have already built the project, you can skip this step. `playground deploy` will prompt you to reuse the existing build.

## Deploy Your App

Run `playground deploy` to start the interactive deploy flow. The CLI walks you through a series of prompts, then shows a confirmation summary before uploading.

<div class="termynal" data-termynal>
  <span data-ty="input"><span class="file-path"></span>playground deploy</span>
</div>

The CLI presents the following prompts in order:

1. **Review app detail page**: A reminder that your `README.md` becomes your app's detail page on the playground. Make sure it's up to date, then press ++enter++ to continue (or ++esc++ to exit and edit it first).

2. **Redeploy contracts if changed**: Smart contracts hold your app's on-chain logic and data, and deploy separately from your website. Choose **no** if you only changed the website. Choose **yes** if you changed contract code in this project. The CLI then redeploys and reinstalls the contracts and rebuilds the site to match.

    <div class="termynal" data-termynal>
    <span data-ty><pre>  did you change your smart contracts?
      › no  ·  I only changed the website
        yes  ·  I changed contract code too</pre></span>
    </div>

3. **Choose to rebuild before deployment**: Compiles your latest code into the files that get uploaded. Choose **yes** to rebuild now, or **no** to redeploy the build that's already in your build folder.

    <div class="termynal" data-termynal>
    <span data-ty><pre>  build before deploy?
      › yes  ·  rebuild with my latest code
        no  ·  redeploy the existing build</pre></span>
    </div>

4. **Choose who signs the upload**: Publishing writes to the blockchain, which needs a signature. The **dev signer** uses a shared test account: instant, no phone needed. The **phone signer** signs with your own logged-in account, with a few taps on your phone.

    <div class="termynal" data-termynal>
    <span data-ty><pre>  who signs the upload?
      › dev signer  ·  fast, no phone needed
        your phone signer  ·  signs with your own account</pre></span>
    </div>

5. **Choose a default build directory**:  The folder holding your built site (the files that get uploaded). The default `dist` fits most projects. This example uses `.next` for a Next.js app.

    <div class="termynal" data-termynal>
    <span data-ty><pre>  build directory  default: dist
      › .next█</pre></span>
    </div>

6. **Choose a domain name**: Pick the `.dot` address people will use to reach your app, e.g. `my-app.dot`. Name availability depends on the length of the base name (the part before any optional two-digit suffix):

    | Base name length       | Requirement                                         |
    |------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
    | 9 characters or longer | Open to everyone — deploys with no personhood check |
    | 6 to 8 characters      | Requires Proof of Personhood on this network        |
    | 5 characters or fewer  | Reserved                                            |

    <div class="termynal" data-termynal>
    <span data-ty><pre>  domain
      › myproject57█</pre></span>
    </div>

7. **Publish to the playground**: Choose **yes** to list your app in the public Polkadot Playground so others can find and open it. Choose **no** to still deploy it to your `.dot` address, but keep it unlisted.

    <div class="termynal" data-termynal>
    <span data-ty><pre>  publish to the playground?
      › yes  ·  list it in the public playground
        no  ·  deploy to my .dot address only</pre></span>
    </div>

8. **Review confirmation summary**: The CLI shows a summary of your choices before uploading. Review it, then press ++enter++ to deploy (or ++esc++ to cancel). With the dev signer, no phone taps are needed and `phone approvals` reads `none`.

    <div class="termynal" data-termynal>
    <span data-ty><pre>  playground deploy  ·  myproject57.dot  ·  paseo next v2        v0.34.7
      ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────<br>
      deploying myproject57.dot<br>
      signer        Dev signer (no phone taps for upload)
      build         skip (use existing)
      build dir     .next
      contracts     skip
      publish       DotNS only<br>
      phone approvals none<br>
      enter to deploy  ·  esc to cancel</pre></span>
    </div>

    Press ++enter++ to confirm. The CLI then runs the upload and on-chain registration steps. If you chose the **phone signer**, each step triggers an approval prompt in the Polkadot mobile app — open the app and approve when prompted. With the **dev signer** selected here, the upload and DotNS registration run automatically with no phone prompts, and the deploy finalizes:

    <div class="termynal" data-termynal>
    <span data-ty><pre>  playground deploy  ·  myproject57.dot  ·  paseo next v2        v0.34.7
      ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────<br>
      frontend<br>
      · build         skipped
      ✓ upload + dotns<br>
      ✓ deploy complete<br>
      url           https://myproject57.dot.li
      domain        myproject57.dot
      app cid       bafybeihvru3e6ojhopxj7xxwtafrpyvsha6kylzklryon5k67u4clr26re
      ipfs cid      bafybeigr2liqwftbmily4sdxvo7mq4atgboqsrpdadypmsbpkn7c25cwja</pre></span>
    </div>

## Open Your App

Once the deploy completes, the CLI prints the URLs for your app. Regardless of whether you published it to the playground, your app is live at its `.dot` address and reachable through the `.dot.li` gateway:

```
https://myproject57.dot.li
```

You can also navigate directly by entering your `.dot` name in the Polkadot Desktop browser address bar:

```
myproject57.dot
```

![Successfully deployed app reachable at its .dot URL](/images/apps/deploy-your-app/deploy-your-app-01.webp)

Either way, the app loads directly from the Bulletin Chain — no central server involved.

If you chose **yes** at the `publish to the playground?` prompt, your app is also listed in the public playground directory. Open `playground.dot` in Polkadot Desktop browser and your app appears under your `.dot` name, so others can find and open it. If you chose **no** (`DotNS only`, as in this example), the app is still fully deployed and reachable at the URLs above — it just won't be listed in the directory.

!!! tip
    If your app does not appear immediately, wait a few seconds and refresh. On-chain state propagation can take a short time after the deploy transaction finalizes.