Deploy an app project type

Updated

Create and deploy full-stack web apps on Webflow Cloud without creating a site.

You can create and deploy full-stack web apps on Webflow Cloud independently from a Webflow site. Instead of creating a site first and attaching an app to it, you can create an app project type directly and deploy it to its own domain — including the root path (e.g., yourapp.com).

You can also use One Click Deploy to deploy apps from a GitHub repository with minimal setup. For detailed setup, CLI commands, and troubleshooting info, review the developer docs.

Understand app project types

Webflow Cloud introduces a new project type — apps. This is a full-stack web app hosted on Webflow Cloud that doesn't require an attached site. You can deploy and manage your app without creating pages or managing a marketing site.

App project types include:

  • Root domain hosting — your app can live at yourapp.com, not just yourapp.com/app
  • Independent environments — configure separate environments for staging and production
  • CLI-based deploys — use webflow cloud init and webflow cloud deploy to create and deploy your app from the command line
  • GitHub-connected workflows — connect a GitHub repository to streamline deployments
  • Custom domain support — connect a custom domain without requiring a site
  • Usage-based scaling — bandwidth, requests, CPU, and storage scale based on your plan

All configuration — environment variables, routing, and usage limits — is scoped to the app itself. Sites remain separate and optional.

Supported frameworks

App project types in Webflow currently support the following frameworks:

  • Next.js
  • Astro
  • Vite (coming soon)

Apps vs sites

Apps and sites are separate project types in Webflow. They coexist in your Workspace dashboard, but serve different purposes.

App project type Site with an attached app
Requires a site No Yes
Hosts at root domain (/) Yes No — subpath only (e.g., yoursite.com/app)
Creation methods Dashboard, CLI, One Click Deploy Site creation flow
Managed through Apps dashboard, CLI Site settings
Consumes a site slot in your Workspace Yes Yes

Note

You can't convert an app into a site (or vice versa) after creation. Migration of nested apps (apps attached to sites) to app project types is coming soon.

Create an app

You can create an app from the Webflow dashboard or the CLI. Both methods create an app without a site — you won't need to create pages or set up a marketing site.

Create an app from the dashboard

To create an app from the Webflow dashboard:

  1. Click New project
  2. Choose App
  3. Select a starter template to get started with a pre-configured framework, or connect a GitHub repository to deploy your own code
  4. Configure your app name and settings
  5. Click Deploy to deploy your app to Webflow Cloud

After your app deploys, you'll land on the Apps dashboard where you can view your live URL, manage deployments, and configure environment settings.

Good to know

After a successful deploy, your app may take a moment to propagate. If you visit your app's URL immediately after deployment, you may see a loading page while the app finishes going live. Give it a moment and refresh the page.

Create an app from the CLI

To create and deploy an app using the Webflow CLI:

  1. Run webflow cloud init in your project directory
  2. Follow the prompts to configure your app. You'll be asked whether to start a new project or connect to an existing one
  3. Choose your framework (e.g., Next.js or Astro)
  4. Run webflow cloud deploy to deploy your app to Webflow Cloud

After deployment, you'll see a success message with your app's URL (e.g., yourapp.webflow.io). To set up continuous deployments, connect a GitHub repository after your initial deploy.

For full CLI reference and options, review the developer docs.

Deploy an app with One Click Deploy

One Click Deploy lets you deploy an app to Webflow Cloud directly from a GitHub repository with minimal configuration. You'll find Deploy to Webflow buttons on GitHub READMEs, documentation pages, and other external entry points.

How One Click Deploy works

When you click a Deploy to Webflow button:

  1. If you're not logged in, you're redirected to the Webflow sign-in page — you can log in with an existing account or create a new one
  2. Authorize Webflow to access your GitHub account and repositories
  3. Choose a repository to deploy from, or select a starter template
  4. Webflow creates a new app from the repository (adding a copy to your GitHub account for starter templates)
  5. Your app builds and deploys automatically
  6. The Apps dashboard opens, where you can view your live URL and manage your deployment

You can also trigger One Click Deploy directly by navigating to the deploy endpoint with a repository URL:

webflow.com/dashboard/cloud/deploy?repo=<github_repository_url>

For example: webflow.com/dashboard/cloud/deploy?repo=https://github.com/Webflow-Examples/hello-world-astro

Note

One Click Deploy requires authentication before deployment. You'll need to log in or create a Webflow account and authorize GitHub access before your app can deploy.

Add a Deploy to Webflow button

To learn how to add a Deploy to Webflow button to your GitHub README or documentation, review the developer docs.

Manage GitHub authorization

When you create or deploy an app from a GitHub repository, Webflow may ask you to authorize GitHub access or install the Webflow GitHub app. These permissions let Webflow access the repository needed to build and deploy your app.

If you already have an existing GitHub connection for Webflow Cloud, you may be prompted to update your permissions when you first create or deploy an app project type.

Roles and permissions

Access to cloud apps in your Workspace depends on your role. Users with the Designer role and above can create, edit, and manage app project types. Users with roles below Designer don't have access to apps.

Note

App project types follow existing Workspace role definitions. Granular, app-specific permissions are not available yet. Custom roles that extend from the Designer role also have full access to app project types.

Understand app plans and limits

App project types use Webflow's existing Site plans. An app counts toward your Workspace totals the same way a site does — a free Starter app is treated the same as a free Starter site.

When you want to connect a custom domain or run production workloads, upgrade to a paid plan.

What's included?

Your app's plan includes usage-based limits for:

  • Bandwidth — total data transferred between your app and visitors
  • Requests — the number of app requests handled each month (e.g., page loads, API calls, server-side executions)
  • CPU time — total compute time used to process server-side logic
  • Storage — if your app uses Cloud Storage (SQLite, key-value store, or object storage), usage counts against your plan limits

Visit our pricing page to see what's included in each plan.

Workspace project limits

Apps count toward your Workspace's project limits. The number of projects (apps and sites combined) you can host on webflow.io depends on your Workspace plan:

  • Starter — two staging projects
  • Core — 10 staging projects
  • Growth — Unlimited staging projects

Projects with paid plans don't count toward these limits.

Surge protection and overages

All paid Site plans include complimentary surge protection for Webflow Cloud to prevent overages from temporary traffic spikes. Learn more about what happens if you exceed your plan limits.

Enterprise plans

For Enterprise customers, the Webflow Cloud add-on includes one dedicated app slot in addition to your plan's standard project limits.

Related articles