App quickstart

Ship your first app to Lizard in a few minutes. You’ll need Node.js 18+ and npm — a Lizard account is created automatically the first time you lizard login. You’ll install the CLI, log in, and deploy — either straight from a GitHub repo or from a local directory.

1. Install the CLI

Install the lizard binary globally from npm:

npm install -g @lizard-build/cli

Verify it’s on your PATH:

lizard --version

Don’t use npx. Always use the globally installed lizard binary. Running npx @lizard-build/cli pulls a throwaway copy whose version may drift from the platform. Upgrade in place later with lizard upgrade.

Permission errors (EACCES)? Don’t use sudo. Point npm at a user-owned prefix instead:

mkdir -p ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix ~/.npm-global
echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc
npm install -g @lizard-build/cli

2. Log in

lizard login

This opens your browser to authenticate, then drops back to your terminal once you confirm. In CI or other non-interactive environments, authenticate with a token instead:

export LIZARD_TOKEN=lzd_xxx
# or
lizard login --token lzd_xxx

Check who you are at any time:

lizard whoami

3. Deploy

Pick the path that matches where your code lives.

Option A — Deploy a GitHub repo (recommended)

If your code is on GitHub, create a service straight from the repo. Lizard clones it, auto-detects the stack, builds it, and returns a live URL:

lizard add -r your-org/your-app

Pushes to the tracked branch will auto-redeploy from then on. For private repos, connect the GitHub App first:

lizard git connect

Option B — Deploy local code

From inside your project directory, upload and deploy the current folder (respects .gitignore):

lizard up

If the directory isn’t linked to a project yet, up will create or select one interactively. In CI, link explicitly first with lizard init --name my-project.

Either way, when the build finishes you’ll get a generated URL like https://your-app-production.onlizard.com.

4. Watch it build and run

lizard ps          # services in the project, with status + URL
lizard logs        # last runtime log lines
lizard logs --build  # the most recent build's logs
lizard open        # open the project in the dashboard

5. Add a database (optional)

Provision a managed Postgres and reference it from your service:

lizard add postgres
lizard secrets set DATABASE_URL='${{postgres.DATABASE_URL}}' --service your-app
lizard redeploy --service your-app

The ${{postgres.DATABASE_URL}} reference is resolved at deploy time and rotates automatically with the addon. See Managed Addons.

Next steps

• Core Concepts — understand projects, services, and the build pipeline.
• Deploying from GitHub — branches, monorepos, and auto-redeploys.
• Variables & Secrets — scoping and precedence.
• Networking — attach your own hostname with automatic TLS.
• Deploying an app your AI IDE built — the same three steps handed to an agent instead, for an app written in Google Antigravity.

Hosting costs

Lizard uses pay as you go with no monthly subscription. Resource usage draws from your account balance. Purchased credits do not expire; trial credits do. Check pricing and your account limits before deploying.

Updated September 15, 2026