> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://blog.clouddley.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How to Deploy a Ruby on Rails App on a DigitalOcean Droplet using Clouddley > Learn how to deploy a Ruby on Rails App on a DigitalOcean Droplet using Clouddley. export const date_0 = "Updated on June 16, 2025" Deploying a [Ruby on Rails](https://rubyonrails.org/) app on a virtual machine can seem tricky, especially if you’re new to deployment. [**Clouddley**](https://clouddley.com/) simplifies the process by handling deployment and connects smoothly with DigitalOcean for you. This tutorial walks you through deploying your Rails app to a DigitalOcean Droplet with ease. ## Prerequisites Before we get started, make sure you have the following: * A [Clouddley account](https://clouddley.com/) * A [DigitalOcean account](https://www.digitalocean.com/) * A [GitHub](https://github.com/) or [Bitbucket](https://bitbucket.org/product/) account. * [`doctl` (DigitalOcean CLI)](https://docs.digitalocean.com/reference/doctl/how-to/install/) installed and configured * [DigitalOcean API](https://cloud.digitalocean.com/account/api/tokens) token generated * [Ruby on Rails](https://guides.rubyonrails.org/install_ruby_on_rails.html) installed locally * [Git installed](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Getting-Started-Installing-Git) locally * Basic familiarity with the Linux command line ## Create a Ruby on Rails Application Before deploying your application, it’s important to make sure it runs smoothly on your local machine. Here's how to create and test a Ruby on Rails application step by step. In your terminal, run: ```bash theme={null} rails new app ``` This command creates a new Rails project in a folder named `app`, complete with the default directory structure, configuration files, and a basic setup. ```bash theme={null} cd app ``` This is where all your Rails files and configuration live. To run the app locally, start the development server: ```bash theme={null} bin/rails server ``` By default, this launches the server on `http://localhost:3000`. Now that the server is running, open your browser and go to: [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000) You should see the default Rails welcome page, which means your app is running correctly! ## Containerize Your Rails App ### Create a Dockerfile To deploy your Rails app on Clouddley, you need to containerize it using Docker. This involves creating a `Dockerfile` named `triggr.dockerfile` that defines how your application will run in a container. Here’s a simple `triggr.dockerfile` for your Ruby on Rails app: ```dockerfile theme={null} FROM ruby:3.4.4-alpine # Install only the essentials for your gems RUN apk add --no-cache \ build-base \ yaml-dev \ nodejs \ yarn \ tzdata \ git # Set working directory WORKDIR /app # Copy Gemfile and Gemfile.lock first (for caching) COPY Gemfile Gemfile.lock ./ # Install gems RUN bundle install # Copy the rest of the application COPY . . EXPOSE 3000 CMD ["rails", "server", "-b", "0.0.0.0"] ``` ### Building and Running the Container Locally Here’s how to test your container locally: 1. **Build the Docker Image**: ```bash theme={null} docker build -f triggr.dockerfile -t my-rails-app . ``` This command builds a Docker image named `my-rails-app` using the `triggr.dockerfile` 2. **Run the Docker Container**: ```bash theme={null} docker run -p 3000:3000 my-rails-app ``` This command runs the container, mapping port 3000 of the container to port 3000 on your local machine. You can now access your Rails app at `http://localhost:3000`. ## Push Your App to GitHub Once your Rails app is working locally, the next step is to track it with Git and push it to a remote repository like GitHub or BitBucket. This not only helps with version control, but it's also essential for deploying on Clouddley. For this tutorial, we'll be using GitHub. Let’s walk through the steps: Go to [GitHub](https://github.com/) and create a new repository. Give it a name and leave the rest of the settings as default (no README, no .gitignore, you already have those locally). If you haven’t already, initialize a Git repository in your project folder: ```bash theme={null} git init ``` Add your files and commit: ```bash theme={null} git add . git commit -m "Initial commit" ``` Create a branch and link your local repository to the GitHub repository you created: ```bash theme={null} git branch -M main git remote add origin ``` Finally, push your code to GitHub: ```bash theme={null} git push -u origin main ``` Now your code is pushed to GitHub, it is ready for deployment. ## Launch a DigitalOcean Droplet We’ll create a Droplet from the command line using the `doctl` CLI. Before you begin, ensure you have your DigitalOcean API token ready. * Authenticate with your DigitalOcean account, run the following command in your terminal: ```bash theme={null} doctl auth init ``` * Enter your API token when prompted. This will allow doctl to interact with your DigitalOcean account. * Before creating your Droplet, make sure you have your `vpc_uuid` and `SSH key` added to your DigitalOcean account. Open your terminal and run the command: ```bash theme={null} doctl compute vpc list ``` This will display all your VPCs along with their UUIDs. Choose the one you want to use for your Droplet. Open your terminal and run the command: ```bash theme={null} doctl compute ssh-key list ``` If you do not have a previously created one, follow the steps below. Step 1: To generate an SSH key, run the command: ```bash theme={null} ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com" ``` Press Enter to accept the default file location and choose a passphrase if you want one. Step 2: To add your SSH key to digitalocean, run: ``` doctl compute ssh-key create "my-key-name" --public-key-file ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub ``` Replace `my-key-name` with a name you’ll recognize. * Create a Droplet using the following command: ```bash theme={null} doctl compute droplet create app-droplet \ --image ubuntu-24-10-x64 \ --size s-1vcpu-1gb \ --ssh-keys your_ssh_key_id \ --region nyc1 \ --vpc-uuid your_vpc_uuid ``` Make sure you replace `your_vpc_uuid` and `your_ssh_key_id` with your actual values. The SSH key added here allows Clouddley to securely connect to your Droplet during deployments. It uses this key to access the VM, run deployment scripts, and manage your app. You will see the output below: Creating a droplet in DigitalOcean

You've created a droplet named `app-droplet` with `Ubuntu24.10 x64` image in the `nyc1` region. * To verify the Droplet was created successfully, you can run: ```bash theme={null} doctl compute droplet list ``` This will show you all your active Droplets, their names, IPs, and statuses. Listing all droplets in DigitalOcean

Note its **public IP address** for SSH access. ## Deploy Now you have your Ruby on Rails app and Droplet ready, it's time to deploy your app. * Open your browser and log in to your [Clouddley account](https://app.clouddley.com/auth/signin) * Navigate to **Apps** and click on Deploy App

Step 1: Configure Service * Choose your Git hosting service; either GitHub or Bitbucket. For this tutorial, we will be using GitHub. * Click on Continue with GitHub

Step 2: Configure Git * To connect your GitHub user or organization account, click the Select username/organization dropdown and Add GitHub account. * Select your repository and the branch from the dropdown list or quickly search. * Click on Next

Step 3: Configure your Virtual Machine * From the **Choose or add server** dropdown, select your VM if it appears in the list. If not, click **+ Add Virtual Machine**. * To add your VM, enter your droplet's IP address as VM host, VM user, and the VM port for SSH access. * Once you've entered the details, verify the connection using the **Clouddley CLI(recommended)** or **SSH**. - Open your local machine’s command line, then connect to the remote VM you want to configure with Clouddley. Use this command to SSH into your DigitalOcean Droplet: ```bash theme={null} ssh root@ ``` * Install Clouddley CLI by running the command: ```bash theme={null} curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/clouddley/cli/main/install.sh | sh ``` * To add the SSH public key, run the command: ```bash theme={null} clouddley add key ``` Using the CLI, you can deploy resources, manage configurations, and automate tasks efficiently. * Click on Verify. This verifies the connection. * Click on Next

Step 4: Configure app settings * Insert the name of the application and its port. * Click on **Next.**

The firewall of the virtual machine should allow access to the application port. Step 5: Configure Environment Variables * To add environment variables, click on Add Variable * Choose an ENV mode: either a single variable or import variables. Learn more [here](https://docs.clouddley.com/apps/extras/environment-variables). Single Variable ENV mode

* Add the key-value pairs and click on Save * Click on Next

Step 6: Setup Notifications (optional) * To configure the notifications settings of the application, click on Add Alert * Select the Alert type. For this tutorial, we will set up Email Alerts. * Toggle on the buttons of the deployment event (failed, timed out, or success) you want to be notified of. * Enter the Email address where you want to receive alerts. (You can add multiple email addresses) * Click on Save * Click on Deploy

Step 7: Test and Verify the app * Click on Go to Dashboard. Your app will be visible on the apps dashboard. * After the app deployment is complete, the app status changes from `Deploying` to `Online`

* Click on 🌐 Website at the top right corner of the page, this opens the URL of the deployed application in your browser. * You can test the application's functionalities.

## Post-Deployment: Managing Your Ruby on Rails App Once your Ruby on Rails app is up and running on a DigitalOcean Droplet using Clouddley, management is simple.\ The apps dashboard lets you handle key tasks without touching the server. You can adjust the settings, [scale](https://docs.clouddley.com/apps/extras/scale-applications-on-clouddley) your app, [roll back](https://docs.clouddley.com/apps/extras/how-to-rollback-an-application) to earlier versions, [pause or resume](https://docs.clouddley.com/apps/extras/how-to-pause-and-resume-applications) the app, or remove the app if needed. You’ll also find helpful features to view your deployment history, check logs, manage [environment variables](https://docs.clouddley.com/apps/extras/environment-variables), and connect a [custom domain](https://docs.clouddley.com/apps/extras/custom-domain), all in one place. Want to keep your Rails app clean, fast, and easy to maintain? Here are a few tried-and-true best practices to follow: Follow Rails conventions\ Stick to the framework’s naming and folder structure—it makes your code easier to understand and maintain. Keep things modular\ Use services or concerns to break out logic and avoid bloated models or controllers. Secure your config\ Store sensitive data like API keys and secrets in environment variables or use Rails credentials. Write clear commit messages\ Good commit messages help track changes and make debugging easier down the road. Test your code\ Add basic tests with RSpec or Minitest to catch bugs early and make updates with confidence. Watch performance\ Use eager loading, caching, and proper indexing to keep your app running smoothly in production. Stay current\ Keep Rails and your gems up to date to benefit from security patches and performance improvements. ## Conclusion That’s it! You’ve now seen how easy it is to deploy your Ruby application on a DigitalOcean droplet using Clouddley. We built Clouddley to make deployments on your favorite cloud platform simpler so you can focus on building great products. If you’ve got feedback or ideas to make Clouddley even better, let us know [here](https://clouddley.productlane.com/roadmap). We’re excited to see the cool things you’ll deploy with it! A backend infrastructure for your own compute. Run apps, databases, brokers, and AI workloads on your VMs, bare metal, or VPS. ## Additional Resources Here are some helpful links to keep learning and refining your deployment setup: * [Clouddley Documentation](https://docs.clouddley.com/) * [Run Dockerfile on Clouddley](https://docs.clouddley.com/apps/extras/deploy-an-application-with-a-dockerfile-on-clouddley) * [DigitalOcean Droplet Docs](https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/droplets/) * [Ruby on Rails Guides](https://guides.rubyonrails.org/) * [GitHub Docs](https://docs.github.com/en)

By Faith Kovi

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