CI/CD Setup

103 min

Welcome! This guide will help you set up automatic deployment for your Back4App project. When you're done, pushing code to GitHub will automatically update your Back4App app.

No prior experience with GitHub Actions is required.

What Does This Do?What Does This Do?

What You'll NeedWhat You'll Need

Step 1: Clone Your RepositoryStep 1: Clone Your Repository

Step 2: Set Up Back4App CLI and Project StructureStep 2: Set Up Back4App CLI and Project Structure

Step 3: Find Your Back4App App IDsStep 3: Find Your Back4App App IDs

Step 4: Edit the Workflow FileStep 4: Edit the Workflow File

Step 5: Add Your Secrets to GitHubStep 5: Add Your Secrets to GitHub

Step 6: Create Your BranchesStep 6: Create Your Branches

Step 7: Deploy!Step 7: Deploy!

How to Use It DailyHow to Use It Daily

TroubleshootingTroubleshooting

GlossaryGlossary

⚠️⚠️⚠️ VERY IMPORTANT ⚠️⚠️⚠️

Though flexible and configurable, this Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) project is aimed at running Back4app Backend as a Service (BaaS) projects ONLY.

You might change it and adapt it to your specific needs, using this as a template, but have in mind that it does many checkings on Back4app's BaaS folders, files and settings, so ensure to adapt accordingly.

A few of those checks include:

  - A configured Back4app Backend as a Service project, which you can obtain by using the Back4app Command Line Interface tool (CLI): https://www.back4app.com/docs/local-development/parse-cli

What Does This Do?

This workflow automatically uploads your code to Back4App whenever you push changes to GitHub.

Here's how it works:

┌─────────────────┐         ┌─────────────────┐         ┌─────────────────┐
│  You push code  │   →→→   │  GitHub Actions │   →→→   │  Back4App app   │
│  to GitHub      │         │  runs workflow  │         │  is updated     │
└─────────────────┘         └─────────────────┘         └─────────────────┘

Two distinct branches:

When you push to...	Your code goes to...
development branch	Development Back4App app (for testing)
main branch	Production Back4App app (for real users)

This lets you test changes safely before releasing them to your users.

⚠️⚠️⚠️ Tip: In order for this flow to work as it is, the branches MUST be named like above. ⚠️⚠️⚠️

What You'll Need

Before starting, make sure you have:

A GitHub account with:

A Repository created for your App

Two branches named exactly development and main

A Back4App account

Two Back4App apps created:

One for Development (development and testing)

One for Production (live/real users)

Your project code in a GitHub repository

A code editor (like VS Code, Cursor, or even GitHub's web editor)

⚠️ Important: The branch names must be exactly development and main for this workflow to work as is!

Don't have two Back4App apps yet?

You'll need to create them first:

Log into Back4App

Click the "New App" button on the top right side

Create your first app and name it something like "DevelopmentApp"

Create your second app and name it something like "ProductionApp"

💡 Tip: Keep the names simple so you can tell them apart easily.

Step 1: Clone Your Repository

Before you can add files to your project, you need to download (clone) your GitHub repository to your computer.

1.1 Find your repository URL

Go to your repository on GitHub

Open your web browser

Go to github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO-NAME

Click the green "Code" button

It's near the top right of the file list

Copy the URL

Make sure "HTTPS" is selected (it's the default)

Click the 📋 copy button next to the URL

The URL looks like: https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO-NAME.git

1.2 Clone the repository to your computer

🍎 macOS

Open Terminal

Press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight

Type "Terminal"

Press Enter

Navigate to where you want to store your project

# Go to your Documents folder (or wherever you want to work)
cd ~/Documents

Clone the repository

# Replace the URL with your actual repository URL
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO-NAME.git

Enter the project folder

# Replace YOUR-REPO-NAME with your actual repository name
cd YOUR-REPO-NAME

🐧 Linux

Open your terminal

Navigate to where you want to store your project

# Go to your home folder (or wherever you want to work)
cd ~

Clone the repository

# Replace the URL with your actual repository URL
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO-NAME.git

Enter the project folder

# Replace YOUR-REPO-NAME with your actual repository name
cd YOUR-REPO-NAME

🪟 Windows (PowerShell)

Open PowerShell

Press Win + X

Select "Windows PowerShell"

Navigate to where you want to store your project

# Go to your Documents folder (or wherever you want to work)
cd ~\Documents

Clone the repository

# Replace the URL with your actual repository URL
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO-NAME.git

Enter the project folder

# Replace YOUR-REPO-NAME with your actual repository name
cd YOUR-REPO-NAME

🪟 Windows (Command Prompt)

Open Command Prompt

Press Win + R

Type "cmd"

Press Enter

Navigate to where you want to store your project

REM Go to your Documents folder (or wherever you want)
cd %USERPROFILE%\Documents

Clone the repository

REM Replace the URL with your actual repository URL
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO-NAME.git

Enter the project folder

REM Replace YOUR-REPO-NAME with your actual repository name
cd YOUR-REPO-NAME

🪟 Windows (Git Bash)

If you installed Git for Windows, you have Git Bash which works like macOS/Linux:

Open Git Bash

Right-click on your Desktop or in a folder

Select "Git Bash Here"

Navigate to where you want to store your project

# Go to your Documents folder (or wherever you want)
cd ~/Documents

Clone the repository

# Replace the URL with your actual repository URL
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO-NAME.git

Enter the project folder

# Replace YOUR-REPO-NAME with your actual repository name
cd YOUR-REPO-NAME

1.3 Verify the clone worked

After cloning, you should see your project files. Run this command to check:

ls -la

On Windows Command Prompt, use:

dir

You should see your project files listed, including any existing files from your repository.

1.4 Open the project in your code editor

📝 VS Code or Cursor

Option A: From the terminal

# Opens VS Code in current folder
code .

# Opens Cursor in current folder
cursor .

Option B: From the application

Open VS Code or Cursor

Click File → Open Folder

Navigate to your project folder

Click Open

📝 Other editors

Open your code editor

Look for File → Open or File → Open Folder

Navigate to the folder where you cloned your repository

Open it

✅ Success! You now have a local copy of your repository. Any changes you make here can be pushed back to GitHub.

Step 2: Set Up Back4App CLI and Project Structure

Before adding the workflow file, you need to set up the Back4App Command Line Interface (CLI) and connect it to your Back4App apps. This will create the necessary cloud folder structure in your project.

📖 Official Documentation: Back4App CLI Setup Guide

2.1 Install the Back4App CLI

The CLI lets you manage your Back4App apps from your terminal.

🍎 macOS

Prerequisites: You need Python installed on your Mac (it usually comes pre-installed).

Open Terminal (press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", press Enter)

Run the installation command:

curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/back4app/parse-cli/back4app/installer.sh | sudo /bin/bash

Enter your password when prompted (you won't see characters as you type - that's normal)

Verify the installation:

b4a --version

You should see a version number.

🐧 Linux

Prerequisites: You need Python installed.

Open your terminal

Run the installation command:

curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/back4app/parse-cli/back4app/installer.sh | sudo /bin/bash

Enter your password when prompted

Verify the installation:

b4a --version

🪟 Windows

Download the CLI executable:

Go to: https://github.com/back4app/parse-cli/releases

Download the file named b4a.exe

Move the file to make it accessible globally:

Move b4a.exe to C:\Windows\System32\

(You may need administrator permission)

Verify the installation:

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell

Run:

b4a --version

2.2 Get Your Back4App Account Key

You need an Account Key to connect the CLI to your Back4App account.

Log into Back4App at back4app.com

Click on your profile icon (top-right corner of the dashboard)

Look for "Account Keys" in the menu

Give your Account Key a name and click the "+" button on the right side

A new Account Key will be created - Copy your new key immediately

⚠️ Important: Keep your Account Key secret! Never share it or commit it to your repository.

Write it down somewhere safe:

My Account Key: ________________________________

2.3 Configure the CLI with Your Account Key

Now connect the CLI to your Back4App account.

Open your terminal and navigate to your project folder:

cd /path/to/your-project

Run the configuration command:

b4a configure accountkey

Paste your Account Key when prompted and press Enter

💡 Note: If you've configured a key before and need to update it, use:

b4a configure accountkey -d

2.4 Link Your Back4App App to Your Local Project

This step creates the Back4App cloud code structure inside your cloned repository.

⚠️ Important: Run this command inside your cloned repository folder (from Step 1). This ensures the Back4App files are added to your git-tracked project!

Make sure you're in your cloned repository folder:

# Navigate to your cloned repo (the folder from Step 1)
cd ~/Documents/YOUR-REPO-NAME

# Verify you're in the right place (should show .git folder)
ls -la

Run the new app command:

b4a new

When prompted, choose to link an existing app:

You'll see options like (n)ew or (e)xisting

Type e and press Enter to link an existing app

Select your DEVELOPMENT app from the list

Use the project's number to choose

Press Enter to select

When asked for "Directory Name:"

Just press Enter to accept the default (uses your app name)

Or type a simple name like app and press Enter

The CLI will create a subfolder with this name

When asked about blank project:

Please type "(b)lank" if you wish to setup a blank project, otherwise press ENTER:

Just press Enter to get the default template with sample files

The CLI creates the files in a subfolder:

your-project/                ← Your cloned repo
├── .git/                    ← Already exists from Step 1
└── MyApp/                   ← Subfolder created by CLI (name may vary)
    ├── cloud/
    │   └── main.js
    ├── public/
    │   └── index.html
    ├── .parse.local
    └── .parse.project

2.4.1 Move Files to Repository Root

The workflow expects the cloud folder to be in the root of your repository, not in a subfolder.

Follow these steps:

Step A: First, find out what the subfolder is called:

ls

You'll see something like:

MyApp

(The name will be whatever your Back4App app is called)

Step B: Run these 4 commands one by one, replacing MyApp with the name you saw above:

🍎 macOS / 🐧 Linux / Git Bash

mv MyApp/* .

mv MyApp/.parse.local .

mv MyApp/.parse.project .

rmdir MyApp

🪟 Windows (PowerShell)

Move-Item -Path "MyApp\*" -Destination "."

Move-Item -Path "MyApp\.parse.local" -Destination "."

Move-Item -Path "MyApp\.parse.project" -Destination "."

Remove-Item -Path "MyApp"

🪟 Windows (Command Prompt)

move MyApp\* .

move MyApp\.parse.local .

move MyApp\.parse.project .

rmdir MyApp

Step C: Verify it worked:

ls -la

You should see cloud/ and public/ folders in the root (not inside a subfolder).

After moving, your repository should look like this:

your-project/                ← Your cloned repo
├── .git/                    ← Git directory (from Step 1)
├── cloud/
│   └── main.js              ← Your Cloud Code goes here
├── public/
│   └── index.html           ← Optional: web hosting files
├── .parse.local             ← App configuration
└── .parse.project           ← Project configuration

⚠️ Important: The cloud/main.js file is where your Cloud Code lives. This is what gets deployed to Back4App!

2.5 Create the GitHub Workflows Folder

Now add the folder for GitHub Actions.

⚠️ Important: Make sure you are inside your cloned repository folder (from Step 1). This folder already contains the .git directory which is essential for pushing code to GitHub!

🍎 macOS / 🐧 Linux

# You should already be in your cloned repo folder from Step 1
# If not, navigate to it:
cd ~/Documents/YOUR-REPO-NAME

# Verify you're in a git repository (should show your branch name)
git status

# Create the workflows folder
mkdir -p .github/workflows

🪟 Windows (PowerShell)

# You should already be in your cloned repo folder from Step 1
# If not, navigate to it:
cd ~\Documents\YOUR-REPO-NAME

# Verify you're in a git repository (should show your branch name)
git status

# Create the workflows folder
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path ".github\workflows"

🪟 Windows (Command Prompt)

REM You should already be in your cloned repo folder from Step 1
REM If not, navigate to it:
cd %USERPROFILE%\Documents\YOUR-REPO-NAME

REM Verify you're in a git repository (should show your branch name)
git status

REM Create the workflows folder
mkdir .github\workflows

📝 Using VS Code or Cursor

Open your cloned repository folder in VS Code or Cursor (the one from Step 1)

In the Explorer sidebar (left panel), right-click on empty space

Select "New Folder"

Name it .github (yes, with the dot at the beginning)

Right-click on the .github folder

Select "New Folder"

Name it workflows

2.6 Add the Workflow File

Download the the simpleDeploy.yaml file from here:

simpleDeploy.yaml

and copy it into the .github/workflows/ folder.

2.7 Verify Your Project Structure

After completing this step, your cloned repository should look like this:

your-project/                    ← This is your cloned repo folder
├── .git/                        ← Git directory (ESSENTIAL - created when you cloned)
├── .github/
│   └── workflows/
│       └── simpleDeploy.yaml    ← The deployment workflow
├── cloud/
│   └── main.js                  ← Your Cloud Code
├── public/                      ← (Optional) Web hosting files
│   └── index.html
├── .parse.local                 ← Back4App app config
├── .parse.project               ← Back4App project config
└── ... (your other files)

📁 Workflow file location: .github/workflows/simpleDeploy.yaml

⚠️ Don't see the .git folder?

On macOS/Linux: Hidden folders (starting with .) may not show by default. Run ls -la in terminal to see them.

On Windows: Enable "Show hidden files" in File Explorer settings.

If .git is truly missing: You're not in the cloned repository! Go back to Step 1 and clone your repo properly.

✅ Success! Your cloned repository now has the Back4App structure and the workflow file. The .git folder ensures you can push changes to GitHub.

Step 3: Find Your Back4App App IDs

You need to find the Application ID for each of your two Back4App apps.

What is an Application ID?

It's a unique code that identifies your app. It looks something like this:

JrOq8xfZSBWLxC1oD1aBr94gGVTV11Axo12kyus0

How to find it:

Log into Back4App at back4app.com

Click on your DEVELOPMENT app from the dashboard

In the Overview tab (on the left side), look for App ID (on the right side)

Copy the "App ID" value

Write it down or paste it somewhere safe:

My Development App ID: ________________________________

Go back to the dashboard and repeat for your PRODUCTION app:

My Production App ID: ________________________________

⚠️ Important: Make sure you don't mix them up! Label which is which.

Step 4: Edit the Workflow File

Now you'll put your App IDs into the workflow file.

4.1 Open the file

Open .github/workflows/simpleDeploy.yaml in your code editor.

4.2 Find lines 38-39

Look for this section near the top of the file:

env:
  # ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  # │ EDIT THESE VALUES - Replace with your actual Back4App Application IDs  │
  # └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
  DEVELOPMENT_APP_ID: "YOUR_DEVELOPMENT_APP_ID_HERE"
  PRODUCTION_APP_ID: "YOUR_PRODUCTION_APP_ID_HERE"

4.3 Replace the placeholder values

Change the placeholder text to your actual App IDs:

Before:

  DEVELOPMENT_APP_ID: "YOUR_DEVELOPMENT_APP_ID_HERE"
  PRODUCTION_APP_ID: "YOUR_PRODUCTION_APP_ID_HERE"

After (example):

  DEVELOPMENT_APP_ID: "JrOq8xfZSBWLxC1oD1aBr94gGVTV11Aks8ur08Kk"
  PRODUCTION_APP_ID: "v9pS0Ps4VTBwnVISz0TaVQ7vyDXVc8Alo42K096B"

⚠️ Important: Keep the quotation marks around the IDs!

4.4 Save the file

Press Ctrl + S (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + S (Mac) to save.

Step 5: Add Your Secrets to GitHub

Secrets are like passwords - they're kept hidden and secure. You need to add two secrets to your GitHub repository.

What secrets do you need?

Secret Name	What It Is
BACK4APP_EMAIL	The email address you use to log into Back4App
BACK4APP_ACCOUNT_KEY	A special key from your Back4App account settings

5.1 Find your Back4App Account Key

If you already created an Account Key in Step 2.2, you can use the same one. Otherwise:

Log into Back4App at back4app.com

Click on your profile icon (top-right corner of the dashboard)

Look for "Account Keys" in the menu

Give your Account Key a name and click the "+" button on the right side

Copy your new key immediately

💡 Tip: If you already configured the CLI in Step 2, you already have an Account Key. You can use the same one for the GitHub secret.

5.2 Add secrets to GitHub

Go to your repository on GitHub

Open your web browser

Go to github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO-NAME

Click the "Settings" tab

It's in the top menu bar of your repository

(You need to be the owner or have admin access)

Find "Secrets and variables" in the left sidebar

Click on it to expand

Click on "Actions"

Add the first secret (BACK4APP_EMAIL)

Click the green "New repository secret" button

Name: Type BACK4APP_EMAIL (exactly like this, all capitals)

Secret: Type your Back4App email address

Click "Add secret"

Add the second secret (BACK4APP_ACCOUNT_KEY)

Click "New repository secret" again

Name: Type BACK4APP_ACCOUNT_KEY (exactly like this, all capitals)

Secret: Paste your Back4App Account Key

Click "Add secret"

5.3 Verify your secrets

After adding both secrets, you should see them listed:

Repository secrets
──────────────────
BACK4APP_ACCOUNT_KEY    Updated just now
BACK4APP_EMAIL          Updated just now

✅ Note: You won't be able to see the actual values - that's normal! GitHub hides them for security.

Step 6: Create Your Branches

The workflow uses two branches: development and main.

What are branches?

Think of branches like parallel versions of your project:

development - Where you test new features

main - The stable version for real users

Check if you already have these branches

🖥️ Using Terminal/Command Line

# Navigate to your project
cd your-project

# See all your branches
git branch -a

Look for development and main in the list.

🌐 Using GitHub Website

Go to your repository on GitHub

Click the branch dropdown (usually says "main" or "master")

See if development and main are listed

Create missing branches

If you need to create the branches:

Create the 'development' branch

# Make sure you're in your project folder
cd your-project

# Create and switch to development branch
git checkout -b development

# Push it to GitHub
git push -u origin development

Create the 'main' branch

# Create and switch to main branch
git checkout -b main

# Push it to GitHub
git push -u origin main

⚠️ About "master" vs "main"

Some older repositories use master instead of main. This workflow uses main.

If your repository has master but not main, you have two options:

Option A: Rename master to main

git branch -m master main
git push -u origin main

Option B: Edit the workflow file to use master instead of main:

Find this section in simpleDeploy.yaml:

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - development
      - main

Change main to master:

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - development
      - master

Step 7: Deploy!

You're all set up! Now let's test it.

7.1 Commit and push your changes

# Add all your changes (including the workflow file)
git add .

# Create a commit
git commit -m "Add deployment workflow"

# Push to development branch first (for testing)
git checkout development
git push origin development

7.2 Watch the magic happen

Go to your repository on GitHub

Click the "Actions" tab

You should see a workflow running!

The workflow will show each step as it runs:

✅ Green checkmark = Step completed successfully

🔄 Yellow spinner = Step is running

❌ Red X = Step failed (click to see what went wrong)

7.3 Check the results

If everything worked, you'll see:

✅ DEPLOYMENT COMPLETE!

And your Back4App Development app will have your latest code!

How to Use It Daily

Once set up, using this workflow is simple:

For everyday development:

# Make your changes to the code
# Then:
git add .
git commit -m "Describe what you changed"
git push origin development

→ This deploys to your Development Back4App app

When you're ready to release to users:

# Switch to main branch
git checkout main

# Merge your tested changes from development
git merge development

# Push to main
git push origin main

→ This deploys to your Production Back4App app

Quick reference:

Action	Command	Result
Test new code	git push origin development	Updates Development app
Release to users	git push origin main	Updates Production app

Troubleshooting

❌ "DEVELOPMENT_APP_ID has not been configured!"

What it means: You didn't edit the workflow file with your App IDs.

How to fix:

Open .github/workflows/simpleDeploy.yaml

Find lines 38-39

Replace YOUR_DEVELOPMENT_APP_ID_HERE with your actual App ID

Save, commit, and push again

❌ "BACK4APP_EMAIL secret is not set!"

What it means: GitHub can't find the secret you were supposed to add.

How to fix:

Go to your repo on GitHub → Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions

Check if BACK4APP_EMAIL exists (exact spelling, all capitals)

If not, add it (see Step 5Step 5)

❌ "BACK4APP_ACCOUNT_KEY secret is not set!"

What it means: Same as above, but for the account key.

How to fix:

Go to your repo on GitHub → Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions

Check if BACK4APP_ACCOUNT_KEY exists

If not, add it (see Step 5Step 5)

❌ Workflow doesn't run when I push

Possible causes:

Wrong branch name: The workflow only runs on development and main. Check your branch:

git branch

Workflow file in wrong location: It must be at exactly:

.github/workflows/simpleDeploy.yaml

YAML syntax error: Make sure you didn't accidentally break the file format when editing.

❌ "b4a deploy" fails

Possible causes:

Wrong App ID: Double-check that you copied the correct Application IDs

Wrong Account Key: Your account key might be incorrect or expired

No permission: Make sure your Back4App account has access to both apps

❌ Health check shows unexpected response

What it means: The deployment probably worked, but the verification step got an unusual response.

This is usually okay! The important thing is whether the "Deploy to Back4App" step succeeded.

Check your Back4App dashboard to confirm the deployment worked.

I need more help!

If you're stuck:

Read the error message carefully - It usually tells you exactly what's wrong

Check the Actions tab on GitHub - Click on the failed run, then click on the failed step to see details

Compare your setup with this guide step-by-step

Ask for help - Include the exact error message when asking

Glossary

New to some of these terms? Here's what they mean:

Term	What It Means
Branch	A separate version of your code. Like having a "draft" and a "final" copy.
Commit	A saved snapshot of your changes, with a message describing what you did.
Push	Uploading your commits from your computer to GitHub.
Repository (Repo)	Your project's home on GitHub - contains all your code and history.
Workflow	An automated process that runs when something happens (like pushing code).
Secret	A hidden value (like a password) stored securely in GitHub.
Application ID	A unique code that identifies your Back4App app.
Account Key	A password-like code that proves you own your Back4App account.
Cloud Code	JavaScript code that runs on Back4App's servers.
CLI	Command Line Interface - a way to control programs by typing commands.

Summary Checklist

Use this checklist to make sure you've completed everything:

Created .github/workflows/ folder in your project

Copied simpleDeploy.yaml into that folder

Found your Development App ID from Back4App

Found your Production App ID from Back4App

Edited simpleDeploy.yaml with both App IDs (lines 38-39)

Added BACK4APP_EMAIL secret to GitHub

Added BACK4APP_ACCOUNT_KEY secret to GitHub

Created development branch (or confirmed it exists)

Created main branch (or confirmed it exists)

Pushed code and saw the workflow run successfully

Once all boxes are checked, you're done! 🎉

What's Next?

Now that you have automatic deployments working, you might want to:

Set up branch protection - Prevent accidental pushes to main

Add collaborators - Let team members push code too

Try the advanced workflow - Check out deploy.yaml for more features like:

Automatic code linting (ESLint)

Code formatting (Prettier)

Running tests (Jest)

More than 2 environments

Congratulations on setting up your first CI/CD pipeline! 🚀

CI/CD = Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment - fancy words for "automatically test and deploy code"

CI/CD Setup

Table of Contents

⚠️⚠️⚠️ VERY IMPORTANT ⚠️⚠️⚠️

What Does This Do?

What You'll Need

Don't have two Back4App apps yet?

Step 1: Clone Your Repository

1.1 Find your repository URL

1.2 Clone the repository to your computer

1.3 Verify the clone worked

1.4 Open the project in your code editor

Step 2: Set Up Back4App CLI and Project Structure

2.1 Install the Back4App CLI

2.2 Get Your Back4App Account Key

2.3 Configure the CLI with Your Account Key

2.4 Link Your Back4App App to Your Local Project

2.4.1 Move Files to Repository Root

2.5 Create the GitHub Workflows Folder

2.6 Add the Workflow File

2.7 Verify Your Project Structure

Step 3: Find Your Back4App App IDs

What is an Application ID?

How to find it:

Step 4: Edit the Workflow File

4.1 Open the file

4.2 Find lines 38-39

4.3 Replace the placeholder values

4.4 Save the file

Step 5: Add Your Secrets to GitHub

What secrets do you need?

5.1 Find your Back4App Account Key

5.2 Add secrets to GitHub

5.3 Verify your secrets

Step 6: Create Your Branches

What are branches?

Check if you already have these branches

Create missing branches

⚠️ About "master" vs "main"

Step 7: Deploy!

7.1 Commit and push your changes

7.2 Watch the magic happen

7.3 Check the results

How to Use It Daily

For everyday development:

When you're ready to release to users:

Quick reference:

Troubleshooting

❌ "DEVELOPMENT_APP_ID has not been configured!"

❌ "BACK4APP_EMAIL secret is not set!"

❌ "BACK4APP_ACCOUNT_KEY secret is not set!"

❌ Workflow doesn't run when I push

❌ "b4a deploy" fails

❌ Health check shows unexpected response

I need more help!

Glossary

Summary Checklist

What's Next?