app-platform-networking

name	app-platform-networking
version	1.0.0
min_doctl_version	1.82.0
description	Configure domains, routing, CORS, VPC, static IPs, and inter-service communication for DigitalOcean App Platform. Use when setting up custom domains, subdomain routing, cross-origin API access, or secure database connectivity.
related_skills	["designer","postgres","managed-db-services"]
deprecated	false

App Platform Networking Skill

Configure domains, routing, CORS, VPC, static IPs, and inter-service communication.

Quick Decision

What networking do you need?
├── Custom domain?
│   └── YES → See domains-dns.md
│
├── Multiple services on one domain?
│   ├── Different paths (/api, /app) → Path-based routing
│   └── Different subdomains (api.*, app.*) → Subdomain routing
│
├── Frontend calling API across origins?
│   └── YES → CORS configuration
│
├── Secure database connectivity?
│   └── YES → VPC + trusted sources
│
└── Need static outbound IP?
    └── YES → Dedicated egress

---

When to Use

Scenario	Need This Skill
Starter domain only	No
Custom domain	Yes
Multiple services, different paths	Yes
Multiple subdomains	Yes
Cross-subdomain API calls (CORS)	Yes
Secure database access via VPC	Yes
Firewall allowlisting (egress IP)	Yes

---

Quick Reference

Feature	App Spec Field	Example
Custom domain	domains[].domain	example.com
Wildcard	domains[].wildcard	true
Path routing	ingress.rules[].match.path.prefix	/api
Subdomain routing	ingress.rules[].match.authority.exact	api.example.com
CORS	ingress.rules[].cors	See reference
VPC	vpc.id	UUID
Dedicated egress	egress.type	DEDICATED_IP

---

Path-Based Routing (Quick Start)

ingress:
  rules:
    - component: { name: api }
      match: { path: { prefix: /api } }

    - component: { name: frontend }
      match: { path: { prefix: / } }

Rule order matters: Specific rules first.

Full guide: See ingress-routing.md

---

Subdomain Routing (Quick Start)

domains:
  - domain: example.com
    type: PRIMARY
    wildcard: true
    zone: example.com

ingress:
  rules:
    - component: { name: api }
      match:
        authority: { exact: api.example.com }
        path: { prefix: / }

    - component: { name: app }
      match:
        authority: { exact: app.example.com }
        path: { prefix: / }

Full guide: See domains-dns.md

---

CORS (Quick Start)

ingress:
  rules:
    - component: { name: api }
      match: { path: { prefix: /api } }
      cors:
        allow_origins:
          - exact: https://app.example.com
        allow_methods: [GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS]
        allow_headers: [Content-Type, Authorization]
        allow_credentials: true

Note: With allow_credentials: true, use exact origins only (no regex).

Full guide: See cors-configuration.md

---

VPC + Trusted Sources (Quick Start)

vpc:
  id: your-vpc-uuid

VPC CIDR whitelisting (recommended):

doctl vpcs get $VPC_ID --format IPRange  # e.g., 10.126.0.0/20
doctl databases firewalls append $CLUSTER_ID --rule ip_addr:10.126.0.0/20

Setup	Trusted Source Rule
Public only	app:$APP_ID
VPC enabled	ip_addr:<vpc-cidr>

Critical: Bindable variables return PUBLIC hostnames even with VPC. Use private URLs:

doctl databases connection --private <cluster-id> --format URI

Full guide: See vpc-trusted-sources.md

---

Reference Files

• domains-dns.md — Domain types, DNS setup, wildcards, TLS, CAA
• ingress-routing.md — Path routing, rewrites, redirects, authority matching
• cors-configuration.md — CORS fields, patterns, credentials
• vpc-trusted-sources.md — VPC setup, trusted sources matrix, private URLs
• static-ips-egress.md — Ingress IPs, dedicated egress, HTTP/2, internal ports
• complete-patterns.md — 5 complete architecture patterns

---

Common Issues

Issue	Fix
Domain not resolving	Check DNS records, allow 72h propagation
SSL certificate error	Add CAA records for letsencrypt.org + pki.goog
CORS preflight fails	Add OPTIONS to allow_methods
VPC connection refused	Use VPC CIDR whitelisting, not app-based rules
Wrong component serves	Reorder rules (specific first)

---

Integration with Other Skills

• → designer: Add domains/ingress to app spec
• → troubleshooting: Debug DNS, CORS, VPC issues
• → postgres: VPC connectivity for managed databases
• → deployment: Deploy networking changes