Deploy to Unkey

Use Unkey when you want Docker-based deployment with automatic domains, preview environments, rollbacks, and Sentinel in front of your Redop app.

Before you start

This guide assumes:

your server uses the HTTP transport
the app binds 0.0.0.0
the app reads PORT from process.env.PORT
your repository includes a Dockerfile

If you scaffolded with create-redop-app --transport http --deploy unkey, the starter already generated:

a production Dockerfile (compiled Bun binary)
a listener on PORT (default 8080) with health: true
README deploy commands for GitHub and unkey deploy

If you still need a container setup from scratch, start with Deploy with Docker and come back once your Redop app builds cleanly in Docker. If your Redop app lives inside a monorepo, use the monorepo production image pattern from Deploy with Docker and point Unkey at that Dockerfile.

Unkey fit

Item	Value
Recommended transport	`http`
App shape	long-running Bun service from a Docker image
Deploy trigger	GitHub push, CLI, or dashboard
Required files	`Dockerfile`
Runtime port	Unkey injects `PORT` and defaults it to `8080`
Environment model	default branch deploys to production, other branches deploy to preview
`create-redop-app` preset	`unkey`
Recommended for	teams that want Docker deploys plus preview environments and Sentinel

Example listener shape

Use a listener like this so the same app works locally and on Unkey:

import { Redop } from "@redopjs/redop";

new Redop({
  serverInfo: {
    name: "unkey-redop",
    version: "0.1.0",
  },
})
  .tool("ping", {
    handler: () => ({ ok: true }),
  })
  .listen({
    port: Number(process.env.PORT ?? 8080),
    hostname: "0.0.0.0",
  });

If you want Unkey to probe a dedicated health endpoint, enable one explicitly:

.listen({
  port: Number(process.env.PORT ?? 8080),
  hostname: "0.0.0.0",
  health: { path: "/health" },
});

Example Dockerfile

Unkey Deploy expects a Dockerfile. Use a compiled production image so Unkey runs a single built executable:

FROM oven/bun:1.3.11 AS build

WORKDIR /app

COPY package.json bun.lock* ./
RUN bun install

COPY . .

RUN bun build \
  --compile \
  --minify-whitespace \
  --minify-syntax \
  --target bun-linux-x64 \
  --outfile redop-server \
  src/index.ts

FROM gcr.io/distroless/base

WORKDIR /app

COPY --from=build /app/redop-server redop-server

EXPOSE 8080

CMD ["./redop-server"]

If your Redop app lives inside a monorepo, replace the example copy steps and entry path with your real workspace layout by following the monorepo production image example in Deploy with Docker.

Deploy steps

Push your Redop project to GitHub.
In Unkey, create a new project and choose your repository.
Review the build settings:
- set the root directory if your Redop app is inside a monorepo
- point Unkey at the correct Dockerfile
- add watch paths if you only want specific folders to trigger deploys
Review the runtime settings:
- keep the port aligned with your app listener
- leave the command empty if you want to use the Dockerfile CMD
- configure a health check path only if you enabled one in Redop
Add environment variables in the Environment Variables tab.
Click Deploy.

After the first deployment:

the default branch maps to production
other branches map to preview
each environment gets its own generated domain
production and preview can use different variables, regions, and Sentinel settings

Variables and redeploys

Use Unkey environment variables for secrets and environment-specific configuration such as database URLs, API keys, and feature flags. Keep in mind:

variables are scoped per environment
keep preview and production values separate
after changing variables, trigger a new deployment if you want the new values applied immediately

Verify the deployment

Use the generated Unkey production or preview URL from the dashboard:

curl -X POST https://your-unkey-domain/mcp \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":0,"method":"initialize","params":{"protocolVersion":"2025-11-25","capabilities":{},"clientInfo":{"name":"unkey-check","version":"1.0.0"}}}'

What success looks like:

the deployment URL answers over HTTPS
/mcp returns a valid JSON-RPC initialize response
the response includes serverInfo from your Redop app

If you enabled Sentinel API key enforcement in Unkey, include the headers required by that policy when you test.

​Before you start

​Unkey fit

​Example listener shape

​Example Dockerfile

​Deploy steps

​Variables and redeploys

​Verify the deployment

​Next