appliku.yml Reference¶

This is the full specification reference for the appliku.yml configuration file. Place this file in the root directory of your application repository to define build settings, processes, databases, volumes, and cron jobs.

For a guide-oriented introduction, see appliku.yml Configuration.

Top-Level Keys¶

build_settings:   # Build and deployment configuration
services:         # Application processes
databases:        # Database services to provision
volumes:          # Persistent storage volumes
cronjobs:         # Scheduled tasks
commands:         # Saved commands for the Run Command autocomplete

All top-level keys are optional. You can define only the sections you need.

build_settings¶

Configures how your application is built and prepared for deployment.

Key	Type	Required	Default	Description
`build_image`	string	Yes	--	Build image or `dockerfile`/`custom`
`build_command`	string	No	--	Command to run during the build phase
`dockerfile`	string	No	--	Inline Dockerfile content (when `build_image` is `dockerfile` or `custom`)
`dockerfile_path`	string	No	`"Dockerfile"`	Path to Dockerfile in repository
`dockerfile_context_path`	string	No	--	Build context path for Dockerfile
`container_port`	integer	No	--	Port your application listens on
`release_command`	string	No	--	Command to run after build, before deployment (e.g., migrations)
`skip_release_command`	boolean	No	`false`	Skip the release command
`expose_web_port`	boolean	No	`false`	Expose container port on all interfaces
`is_static_site`	boolean	No	`false`	Mark as a static site
`output_directory`	string	No	--	Directory containing built static files
`environment_variables`	array	No	--	Environment variable definitions

build_image Values¶

The default is python-3.14-uv-node-26. See Build Images for details. Images marked deprecated use an end-of-life Node.js version and get no security fixes.

Python: python-3.15, python-3.14, python-3.13, python-3.12, python-3.11, python-3.10, python-3.9, python-3.8, python-3.7

Python with uv: python-3.15-uv, python-3.14-uv, python-3.13-uv, python-3.12-uv, python-3.11-uv

Python + Node.js: python-3.15-node-26, python-3.14-node-26, python-3.13-node-26, python-3.12-node-26, python-3.11-node-26

Deprecated: python-3.14-node-25.6, python-3.13-node-20.18, python-3.12-node-20.10, python-3.11-node-20.10, python-3.10-node-20.10

Python (uv) + Node.js: python-3.15-uv-node-26, python-3.14-uv-node-26, python-3.13-uv-node-26, python-3.12-uv-node-26

Deprecated: python-3.14-uv-node-25.6, python-3.13-uv-node-25.6, python-3.12-uv-node-25.6, python-3.11-uv-node-25.6

Node.js: node-26-npm, node-26-yarn, node-24-npm, node-22-npm

Deprecated: node-25-npm, node-20-npm, node-20-yarn, node-14

Ruby: ruby-3.4.1, ruby-3.3-rails

Custom: dockerfile (from repository), custom (inline in dashboard)

Static Sites: no-build-static (requires is_static_site: true)

environment_variables¶

Each entry in the environment_variables array supports several formats:

Static value:

environment_variables:
  - name: MY_VAR
    value: my_value

From database (public connection URL):

environment_variables:
  - name: DATABASE_URL
    from_database:
      name: db
      property: connection_url

From database (private/internal connection URL):

environment_variables:
  - name: DATABASE_URL
    from_database:
      name: db
      property: private_connection_url

From domains (comma-separated list of all application domains):

environment_variables:
  - name: ALLOWED_HOSTS
    from_domains: true

Manual (placeholder for user-provided values):

environment_variables:
  - name: SECRET_KEY
    source: manual

services¶

Defines the processes that run your application. Each key is the service name.

Key	Type	Required	Default	Description
`command`	string	Yes	--	Command to run the service
`scale`	integer	No	`1`	Number of instances
`mode`	string	No	`"replicated"`	`replicated` or `global`
`placement_constraints`	string	No	--	Docker Swarm placement constraints
`resources_limits_memory`	string	No	--	Memory limit (e.g., `"512M"`, `"2G"`)
`resources_limits_cpus`	string	No	--	CPU limit (e.g., `"0.5"`, `"2"`)
`resources_reservations_memory`	string	No	--	Memory reservation
`resources_reservations_cpus`	string	No	--	CPU reservation
`image`	string	No	--	Use an existing Docker image instead of building
`volumes`	array	No	--	Docker volume mounts
`shm_size`	string	No	--	Shared memory size
`ports`	array	No	--	Port mappings

There is no mem_limit key. The four resources_* keys work on a single server and in a cluster, except resources_reservations_cpus, which applies only in a cluster. See Resource Limits for how Appliku applies each key.

Example¶

services:
  web:
    command: gunicorn project.wsgi --bind 0.0.0.0:8000
    scale: 2
    resources_limits_memory: 512M
    resources_limits_cpus: "1"
  worker:
    command: celery -A project worker -l info
    scale: 1
    resources_limits_memory: 256M
  release:
    command: python manage.py migrate

Note

The release service is special -- it runs once after each deployment (like a release command) rather than as a long-running process.

databases¶

Defines database services to provision. Each key is a name you choose (used to reference the database in environment_variables).

Key	Type	Required	Description
`type`	string	Yes	Database engine and version identifier

Available Types¶

Type Key	Engine
`postgresql_19`	PostgreSQL 19 + PostGIS (beta)
`postgresql_18`	PostgreSQL 18 + PostGIS
`postgresql_17`	PostgreSQL 17
`postgresql_16`	PostgreSQL 16
`postgresql_15`	PostgreSQL 15
`postgresql_12`	PostgreSQL 12
`postgis_16_34`	PostGIS 16 + 3.4
`postgis`	PostGIS
`postgresql_16_pgvector`	PostgreSQL 16 + pgvector
`timescale_db_17`	TimescaleDB 17
`timescale_db_17_ha`	TimescaleDB 17 HA
`timescale_db_15`	TimescaleDB 15
`mysql_8`	MySQL 8
`redis_8`	Redis 8
`redis_7`	Redis 7
`redis_6`	Redis 6
`rabbitmq`	RabbitMQ
`elasticsearch_8_17`	Elasticsearch 8.17

Example¶

databases:
  db:
    type: postgresql_17
  cache:
    type: redis_7
  broker:
    type: rabbitmq

volumes¶

Defines persistent storage volumes that survive container restarts and redeployments.

Key	Type	Required	Description
`target`	string	Yes	Mount path inside the container
`url`	string	No	URL path for web access (served by Nginx). See the URL rules
`environment_variable`	string	No	Env var name set to the volume path
`source`	string	No	Accepted, but not used: the files are always in `/home/app/<app-name>/volumes/volume_<id>` on the server

Example¶

volumes:
  media:
    target: /app/media/
    url: /media/
    environment_variable: MEDIA_ROOT
  data:
    target: /app/data/
    environment_variable: DATA_PATH

Tip

When you set a url on a volume, Nginx serves files from that volume directly without passing requests to your application. This is efficient for serving user-uploaded media files.

cronjobs¶

Defines scheduled tasks that run at specified intervals using cron expressions.

Key	Type	Required	Description
`schedule`	string	Yes	Cron expression (e.g., `"0 * * * *"`)
`command`	string	Yes	Command to execute

Cron Expression Format¶

┌───────────── minute (0-59)
│ ┌───────────── hour (0-23)
│ │ ┌───────────── day of month (1-31)
│ │ │ ┌───────────── month (1-12)
│ │ │ │ ┌───────────── day of week (0-6, Sunday=0)
│ │ │ │ │
* * * * *

Appliku accepts 5 fields or a macro such as @daily. It refuses values that cron cannot use, for example 5/10 or 22-2. See Schedule Rules.

Example¶

cronjobs:
  send_emails:
    schedule: "0 * * * *"
    command: python manage.py send_emails
  daily_backup:
    schedule: "0 2 * * *"
    command: python manage.py backup
  weekly_cleanup:
    schedule: "0 3 * * 0"
    command: python manage.py cleanup_old_records

Note

Cron job logs are stored on the server at /home/app/_cron_logs/job_<job_id>.log. You can view them by SSHing into the server.

How Appliku Applies the Section¶

At each deployment, Appliku makes the cron jobs of the application match the cronjobs section:

A job that is in the file but not in Appliku is created.
A job whose schedule or command is different is updated.
A job that is not in the file is deleted. This includes jobs that you added in the dashboard.

If the file has no cronjobs key, Appliku does not change the cron jobs of the application. You can then manage them in the dashboard.

When the file has a cronjobs section, the Cron Jobs tab shows the jobs, but you cannot add, edit or delete them there. This is also true for the CLI and the API (they get the error "The cron jobs of this application are managed by the configuration file ..."). The time limit is also read-only: use the timeout key. To change a job, change the file and deploy. You can still turn a job on or off on the Cron Jobs tab (or with appliku crons update --id <job id> --enable / --disable); a deployment keeps this setting for a job that stays in the file.

The deployment log lists the jobs that a deployment deletes ("Cron jobs deleted because appliku.yml has no such job: ..."). After you click Save and Validate on the YAML Config tab, the YAML Config tab and the Cron Jobs tab warn you which dashboard jobs the next deployment deletes. To keep such a job, add it to the file before you deploy.

Warning

An empty cronjobs section deletes all cron jobs of the application at the next deployment. Both of these forms are empty:

cronjobs: {}

cronjobs:

To keep the cron jobs that you manage in the dashboard, remove the cronjobs key from the file.

commands¶

Defines a list of frequently used commands that appear as autocomplete suggestions in the Run Command tab. The list is a flat array of strings and is fully replaced on every deployment.

Type	Required	Description
`list(string)`	No	Ordered list of command strings

Example¶

commands:
  - python manage.py show_urls
  - python manage.py validate_templates
  - python manage.py check
  - python manage.py send_queued_mail

Note

Commands are suggestions only — they are never executed automatically. Users select or type a command in the Run Command tab and trigger it manually.

Complete Example¶

build_settings:
  build_image: python-3.14-uv-node-26
  build_command: npm run build
  container_port: 8000
  environment_variables:
    - name: DEBUG
      value: "false"
    - name: DATABASE_URL
      from_database:
        name: db
        property: private_connection_url
    - name: REDIS_URL
      from_database:
        name: cache
        property: connection_url
    - name: ALLOWED_HOSTS
      from_domains: true
    - name: SECRET_KEY
      source: manual

services:
  web:
    command: gunicorn project.wsgi --bind 0.0.0.0:8000 --workers 3
    scale: 2
    resources_limits_memory: 512M
  worker:
    command: celery -A project worker -l info
    scale: 1
    resources_limits_memory: 256M
  release:
    command: python manage.py migrate

databases:
  db:
    type: postgresql_17
  cache:
    type: redis_7

volumes:
  media:
    target: /app/media/
    url: /media/
    environment_variable: MEDIA_ROOT

cronjobs:
  cleanup:
    schedule: "0 3 * * *"
    command: python manage.py cleanup_old_files
  send_reports:
    schedule: "0 8 * * 1"
    command: python manage.py send_weekly_report

commands:
  - python manage.py migrate
  - python manage.py createsuperuser
  - python manage.py shell

appliku.yml Configuration -- guide-oriented introduction
Build Images
Predefined Dockerfiles
Database Types

appliku.yml Reference¶

Top-Level Keys¶

build_settings¶

build_image Values¶

environment_variables¶

services¶

Example¶

databases¶

Available Types¶

Example¶

volumes¶

Example¶

cronjobs¶

Cron Expression Format¶

Example¶

How Appliku Applies the Section¶

commands¶

Example¶

Complete Example¶

Related Pages¶