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The Python runtime runs bots, APIs, websites and scripts. Square Cloud installs your dependencies with pip and starts your app with Python 3.

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Before you begin

  • Python on your machine. If you don’t have it, download it from the official Python website.
  • 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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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 complete configuration file for each kind of app:
squarecloud.app

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What Square Cloud runs

  • If the START field is not defined in the configuration file, Square Cloud will execute python MAIN to run the Python file specified in MAIN. If the START field is defined in the configuration file, the value in it will be executed directly. For more information about configuration file parameters, visit configuration parameters.
  • Before starting the app, Square Cloud installs your dependencies with pip: pip install -r requirements.txt when a requirements.txt exists, otherwise pip install ., which reads the dependencies from your pyproject.toml. Square Cloud does not run Poetry.

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Port and host for websites and APIs

Square Cloud sets the PORT environment variable to 80 and HOST to 0.0.0.0. Your server must listen on that port and on all network interfaces: pass --host 0.0.0.0 --port 80 to Uvicorn, --bind 0.0.0.0:80 to Gunicorn, or read int(os.environ.get("PORT", 80)) in your code. Run web apps with a production server such as Gunicorn or Uvicorn, not with a framework’s development server.

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Prepare the project

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Required files

  • squarecloud.app, at the root of the ZIP.
  • Your main file, for example main.py.
  • A dependencies file: requirements.txt, or pyproject.toml when there is no requirements.txt. An upload without either fails with INVALID_DEPENDENCY.
The configuration file (squarecloud.app) must be located at the root of the zip file. Otherwise, Square Cloud will not be able to find it during deploy.

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What to leave out

  • .venv: your local virtual environment. Square Cloud installs the dependencies itself, for the server’s system.
  • __pycache__: compiled files that Python recreates.
  • ffmpeg: it comes pre-installed in the Square Cloud environment.
  • poetry.lock: Square Cloud installs dependencies with pip and does not run Poetry, so this file is never read.

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Framework guides

Django

Flask

FastAPI

To tune a production web server, see how to use Gunicorn.

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Troubleshooting

This error occurs when the file defined as “main” for your application in the configuration file does not exist, is written incorrectly, or the path is incorrect. If your main file is inside a folder, for example, specify folder/file.py.
The minimum amount of RAM required to host a bot is 256MB and for a site/API is 512MB. However, depending on the size and complexity of your application, it may be advisable to allocate a larger amount of RAM to avoid your application running out of memory and crashing.
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.