blink-deploy

name	blink-deploy
description	Build and deploy Blink apps to production. Preview vs production deploys, deploy pipeline, static site hosting.

MCP Tools

blink_rollback — Restore a project to a previously saved version snapshot (use blink_versions_list to find version IDs).

Frontend deployment is done via CLI — blink deploy ./dist --prod. The MCP has no deploy tool because agents deploy using the CLI after building.

Getting Started

# Build your app
npm run build

# Deploy to production — always pass project ID explicitly to avoid "No project context" errors
blink deploy <project_id> ./dist --prod

# OR: link the project first, then deploy without ID
blink link <project_id>
blink deploy ./dist --prod

# After deploying, activate hosting (required to get a live URL)
# Use blink_hosting_activate MCP tool, or:
blink hosting activate <project_id>   # if CLI has this command

# Preview deploy (temporary URL, no activation needed)
blink deploy <project_id> ./dist

# List saved version snapshots
blink versions list

# Restore a version snapshot (version rollback)
blink versions restore <version_id>

Two hosting systems — do NOT mix them

Blink has two separate hosting paths. Never call blink_hosting_activate after blink deploy.

Path A — CLI deploy (for externally-built apps)

blink deploy <project_id> ./dist --prod
# → live immediately at https://{project_slug}.blinkpowered.com
# → NO further steps needed. DO NOT call blink_hosting_activate.

The URL is printed by the CLI after deploy. blink_hosting_status may still show inactive — this is a display lag, the site IS live.

Path B — Blink sandbox activation (for projects built in the Blink AI editor)

blink_hosting_activate  # only for sandbox-based projects
# → triggers a fresh build from the Blink sandbox and deploys

Why you must not mix them:
blink_hosting_activate rebuilds from the Blink sandbox and overwrites the S3 files that blink deploy uploaded. Calling activate after a CLI deploy replaces your app with the Blink AI template.

Summary

Scenario	Command	URL
App built externally (Vite/Next/React)	blink deploy <id> ./dist --prod	{slug}.blinkpowered.com
App built in Blink AI editor	blink_hosting_activate	{slug}.blinkpowered.com
Preview / test URL	blink deploy <id> ./dist (no --prod)	{id}.sites.blink.new

Deploy Pipeline

1. npm run build          → generates ./dist (or .next, out/, build/)
2. blink deploy ./dist    → uploads to Blink hosting
3. URL printed            → {projectId}.sites.blink.new (or custom domain)

Preview vs Production

Flag	Behavior	URL
(none)	Preview deploy	Temporary preview URL
--prod	Production deploy	{projectId}.sites.blink.new + custom domains

# Preview — test before going live
blink deploy ./dist
# → https://preview-abc123.sites.blink.new

# Production — replaces live site
blink deploy ./dist --prod
# → https://{projectId}.sites.blink.new

Framework Build Outputs

Framework	Build Command	Output Dir
React (Vite)	vite build	./dist
Next.js (output: 'export')	next build	./out
Vue	vite build	./dist
Svelte	vite build	./build
Astro	astro build	./dist
Plain HTML/CSS/JS	—	./

For Next.js static export, ensure next.config.ts has output: 'export'.

Backend Deploy

Backend (Hono on CF Workers) has its own deploy command — see blink-backend skill.

blink backend deploy

Full Production Checklist

# 1. Ensure env vars are set
# 2. Build
npm run build

# 3. Deploy frontend
blink deploy ./dist --prod

# 4. Deploy backend (if applicable)
blink backend deploy

# 5. Set up custom domain (optional)
blink domains add myapp.com

Common Issues

Issue	Fix
Empty deploy	Check build output directory exists and has files
404 after deploy	Verify correct output dir (dist/, out/, build/)
Env vars missing	Set secrets in project settings before build
Stale deploy	Ensure --prod flag for production updates