Dockhand Deploy

Guide users through deployment workflows for self-hosted applications. Supports template-based deployments (364+ open-source apps) and traditional WordPress/Ghost deployments.

Configuration Context

IMPORTANT: When creating DNS records or referencing domains, use the user's configured platform_domain, NOT example placeholders. Discover it by:

1. Checking existing DNS records via dns_list_records
2. Checking existing apps via dokploy_list_apps
3. The user's config contains platform_domain (e.g., mycompany.com)

Replace <platform_domain> in examples below with the user's actual domain.

Deployment Patterns

1. Template Deployment (Recommended)

Deploy from Dokploy's catalog of 364+ open-source applications.

Workflow:

1. Browse templates: dokploy_list_templates (filterable by category/tag)
2. Select template and review requirements
3. Configure environment variables
4. Deploy: dokploy_deploy_template
5. Create DNS record: dns_create_record (if custom domain)
6. Verify deployment with dh-deploy-validator agent

MCP Tool Sequence:

dokploy_list_templates category="databases"
  → User selects "postgresql"
dokploy_deploy_template template_id="postgresql" app_name="my-postgres" env_vars={...}
  → Returns app_id
dns_create_record type="CNAME" name="db" content="platform-core.<your_domain>"
  → Traefik auto-routes

2. Traditional Deployment (WordPress/Ghost)

Deploy WordPress or Ghost with full configuration.

Workflow:

1. Gather requirements: domain, admin email, site name
2. Deploy via dokploy_deploy_template with CMS-specific template
3. Configure DNS: dns_create_record
4. Wait for provisioning (check dokploy_app_status)
5. Run CMS setup (admin account creation)

3. Redeployment

Redeploy existing application (after code changes or config updates).

Workflow:

1. Check current status: dokploy_app_status app_id=<id>
2. Trigger redeploy: dokploy_redeploy app_id=<id> confirmed=true
3. Monitor progress via status checks
4. Verify health post-deploy

Template Categories

Common categories available:

• CMS: WordPress, Ghost, Strapi, Directus
• Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB
• Dev Tools: Gitea, GitLab, n8n, Minio
• Analytics: Plausible, Umami, Matomo
• Communication: Mattermost, Rocket.Chat
• Productivity: Nextcloud, Outline, BookStack

Browse with: dokploy_list_templates category="<category>"

Pre-Deployment Checklist

Before any deployment:

• Verify host capacity (check_resource_thresholds)
• Check domain availability (not already routed)
• Prepare environment variables
• Ensure backup strategy for stateful apps

Post-Deployment Verification

After deployment:

1. Check app status: dokploy_app_status
2. Verify DNS propagation: dns_check_propagation
3. Test HTTPS access: traefik_check_certs
4. Run health endpoint if available
5. Sync state to git: suggest /dh:apps sync

Error Handling

Integration with Client Portal

For client-portal deployments:

• Templates deploy via same dokploy_deploy_template tool
• MCP tokens scope access to user's apps only
• Billing/credits handled by portal, not Dockhand