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Every app has two environments: Production (your live app) and Development (isolated backends you use to test changes). A development deployment is a second backend with its own database, functions, and secrets, so you can try changes without risking real user data.
Backend screen showing production and development deployments

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When should I add a development deployment?

Add one when you want a safe place to try changes before they reach real users. Common reasons:
  • Test a migration or schema change against throwaway data
  • Experiment with a new integration or API key
  • Let teammates try a feature without polluting production data

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How do I create a development deployment?

  1. Open your app in the Dashboard
  2. Go to Advanced → Backend
  3. Click Add deployment
  4. Fill in a name (optional) and pick a region
  5. Click Confirm
Hercules provisions the development deployment for you. This usually takes less than a minute.

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How is the development environment different from production?

  • Separate database. Development deployments start empty. Nothing from production is copied over.
  • Separate secrets. Only secrets scoped to the development environment are available. See Secrets.
  • Separate URL. Each development deployment has its own URL, so frontend requests from development don’t hit production.
  • Separate region. You can pick a different region from your production deployment.

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Can I have more than one development deployment per app?

Yes. Each app can have one production deployment and up to 5 development deployments.

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How do I rename a development deployment?

On the Backend screen, open the deployment’s actions menu and click Edit. You can update the display name and reference.

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How do I delete a development deployment?

On the Backend screen, open the deployment’s actions menu and click Delete. Type the confirmation text shown in the dialog, then click Delete. This permanently deletes the deployment and all its data. Production deployments cannot be deleted.
Deleting a development deployment erases its database. There is no undo. If you need the data, export it first.
No. Every app gets a production deployment automatically. Development deployments are optional.
It defaults to your organization’s region. You can pick a different region when you create it. Currently available: US East (N. Virginia) and EU West (Ireland).
Only secrets you’ve scoped to the development environment are available in development deployments. Production-only secrets stay in production.
Yes. On the Backend screen, open the development deployment’s actions menu and click Clone data from production. A snapshot from production is restored into the development deployment, and its existing data is replaced.
Yes. Open a deployment’s actions menu and click View function usage to see a per-function breakdown of call count, database bandwidth, and action compute. You can filter by last 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days, 30 days, or 90 days.