Deploy from a template or Git URL
Two quick ways to start a project without connecting your own GitHub — paste a public repo link, or pick a ready-made starter from the template grid.
Not every project starts from a repo you own. Sometimes you just want to put someone else's public project online, or spin up a fresh app from a blank starter. Alaf Server has two shortcuts for exactly that, and neither one asks you to connect your GitHub account first.
Think of it like a library. You can borrow a book by its exact catalog link (a Git URL), or grab one off the "new and popular" shelf that's already set up for you (a template). Both land you on the same checkout desk — Alaf Server's normal setup screen.
What you need first
- An Alaf Server account (you're already in if you can see the dashboard).
- For the Git URL path: the web address of a public GitHub repository.
- For the Template path: nothing at all — Alaf Server provides the starter code.
Deploying a repo you own (including private ones)? Use Deploy from GitHub instead.
Import by pasting a Git URL
This is the fastest way to try out any public GitHub project — no account linking, no permissions to grant.
Open the Git URL tab
Go to the Library page (the New project button lands you here too) and click the Git URL tab.
Screenshot
Paste the repository link
Copy the project's page address from GitHub — the plain https://github.com/owner/repo link in your
browser's address bar — and paste it into the box. Then press Import Repository.
It has to be a public GitHub repo
This box reads public repositories on github.com. You don't need to connect anything — Alaf Server just fetches the code. Private repos and other hosts won't work here; for those, connect your account with Deploy from GitHub.
Finish on the setup screen
Alaf Server reads the repo and drops you on the same setup screen as any other deploy: it shows the framework it detected, the build command, and the web address your app will get. From here, the steps are identical to a normal GitHub deploy — choose where it runs and press Deploy.
Start from a template
No code yet? A template is a ready-made starter app that Alaf Server hosts for you. Pick a framework and you get a working project to build on — like starting a document from a blank template instead of an empty page.
Open the Template tab
On the Library page, click the Template tab. You'll see a grid of framework tiles — things like Next.js, Astro, Express, Django, and more.
Screenshot
Pick a framework
Click the tile for the stack you want. That's the whole choice — Alaf Server uses its matching starter as the source, so there's nothing to paste or fill in.
Finish on the setup screen
Just like the URL path, you land on the standard setup screen with everything pre-filled. Review it if you like, then choose where it runs and press Deploy. When the build finishes, you get a live link to your brand-new app.
Prefer the terminal?
The Git URL path is really just "make a project pointing at this owner and repo." You can do the same from
the CLI — split the link's owner and repo out of github.com/owner/repo:
# For https://github.com/alaf server/example → owner = alaf server, repo = example
alaf server project create --name my-app --git-owner alaf server --git-repo example
# Ship it
alaf server deployIf something goes wrong
“Enter a valid GitHub repository URL”
Alaf Server couldn't find an owner and repository in what you pasted. The box only accepts github.com
links shaped like https://github.com/owner/repo. This error usually means the link points at another
host (like GitLab or Bitbucket), or it's missing the owner or the repository name. Copy the address from
the repo's page on GitHub and try again.
The import worked but the build failed
Open the build screen and read the last few red lines — that's the real reason. Common causes are a missing build command, a missing environment variable, or the app listening on the wrong port. See Troubleshooting → Deployments for fixes.
It's a private repo
The Git URL box only reaches public code. To deploy a private repository, connect your GitHub account first — see Deploy from GitHub.
What next?
Deploy a local folder
Put an app online straight from a folder on your computer — no GitHub required. The desktop picker, the browser upload, and the one-command CLI way.
Custom domains, DNS & SSL
Put your app on your own address like app.example.com, with automatic HTTPS — add the domain, point your DNS, verify, done.