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The static runtime serves HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images and other files straight from your ZIP, with a web server managed by Square Cloud. There is no process of yours to keep running, so it is the lightest way to publish a website.

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Before you begin

  • A text editor for your HTML and CSS files, such as Visual Studio Code.
  • A Square Cloud account: sign up with your email or GitHub.
  • An active plan. See the plans and pick the one that fits your project.

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Static sites and server-rendered apps

A static site is a set of files that is the same for every visitor: plain HTML pages, or the build output of a framework such as Vite, React, Vue, Angular, Astro or Gatsby. The static runtime serves those files as they are. A server-rendered app builds pages on each request, with server code such as Next.js, Nuxt, React Router or an API. It needs a process that keeps running, so it runs on a language runtime, such as the Node.js runtime, with a MAIN file or a START command. If your framework can do both, a static build is the lighter choice. Each framework guide shows which options it supports.

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Configure Square Cloud

If you upload your application through the dashboard, you can skip this section: the dashboard creates the squarecloud.app configuration file for you.

Configuration file reference

The squarecloud.app file tells Square Cloud how to run your application: its main file, memory, runtime version, name and, for a website, its subdomain.
A MAIN that points to an HTML file selects the static runtime:
squarecloud.app
512 MB is the minimum memory for a website, and plenty for static files.

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How the static runtime serves files

  • The root of the ZIP is the root of your site: about.html is served at /about.html, and blog/index.html at /blog/.
  • / serves vite.html if it exists, otherwise index.html.
  • When a path does not match any file, the runtime serves vite.html if it exists. This keeps client-side routes of single-page apps working on refresh, whatever the framework: rename the index.html of the build to vite.html.
  • Without vite.html, unknown paths return your 404.html, or a default 404 page if you don’t have one.
  • Files are compressed on the fly, and your squarecloud.app file is never served.
Every file in the ZIP is public. Don’t upload source code, .env files or anything else you don’t want visitors to download.

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Prepare the project

Put your files at the root of the ZIP, next to squarecloud.app:
  • index.html, or vite.html for a single-page app.
  • Your CSS, JavaScript, images and fonts, in any folder structure.
  • 404.html, optional: the page for paths that don’t exist.
For a framework build, zip the contents of the build output folder, not the folder itself.

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Framework guides

Each guide shows the build command, the output folder and how to publish it on the static runtime.

Vite

React

Vue

Angular

Astro

Gatsby

Preact

Qwik

SolidJS

Nuxt

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Troubleshooting

The page says “Hi, I’m Square Shield”: the runtime did not find index.html or vite.html at the root of the ZIP. You probably zipped the build folder itself instead of its contents: zip the files inside it.
Your single-page app handles routes in the browser. Rename its index.html to vite.html so unknown paths load the app, and update MAIN.
For other problems, see Troubleshooting.

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Deploy

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Via dashboard

1

Access the Upload Page

Access the upload page and upload your project zip file.
2

Configure Your Environment

After uploading your zip, you will need to configure the name, main file or runtime environment and other settings for your project.
If you are uploading a web project, make sure to select “Web Publication” and set a subdomain to your project.
3

Deploy Your Project

Finally, click on the “Deploy” button to host your project on Square Cloud.
After deployment, you can monitor your project’s status and logs from the dashboard.
Uploading application to Square Cloud
4

Confirm Your App Is Live

Your first deploy usually takes less than a minute. In the dashboard, wait for your application status to show as running and check the logs for any startup errors.
If you deployed a website or API, open https://<your-subdomain>.squareweb.app in your browser: you should see your application responding. If you deployed a bot, send it a command to confirm it is online.
App not starting? See the Troubleshooting guide for the most common causes and fixes.

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Via CLI

To use this method, your project needs a configuration file named squarecloud.app at its root. It tells Square Cloud how to run your application.

Configuration file guide

Learn how to create the squarecloud.app configuration file that defines your application’s environment.
1

Install the CLI

Install the Square Cloud CLI. If you already have it, run the same command to update it:
2

Log In

Run the command below. It opens your browser: approve the login there and the CLI is ready. There is no API key to copy. For scripts and CI, see CLI authentication.
3

Upload Your Project

From your project folder, run the command below. The CLI zips the current folder, leaving out what squarecloud.ignore lists, and uploads it:
To upload a zip you created yourself, pass it with --file:
4

Confirm Your App Is Live

Your first deploy usually takes less than a minute. Check your application status and logs directly from the terminal:
If you deployed a website or API, open https://<your-subdomain>.squareweb.app in your browser: you should see your application responding. If you deployed a bot, send it a command to confirm it is online.
App not starting? See the Troubleshooting guide for the most common causes and fixes.

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Next steps

Environment variables

Keep secrets and settings out of your code and read them at runtime.

Custom domain

Serve your app on your own domain, on the Standard plan and above.

Troubleshooting

Fix an app that does not start or a site that does not respond.

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Contact us

If you continue facing technical difficulties, our specialized support team is available to assist you. Contact us and we’ll be happy to help you resolve any issue: support quality is a big part of why developers rate Square Cloud 4.9/5 across 402 reviews on Google and Trustpilot.