CLI Workflows

Task-oriented guides for deploying apps, managing databases, monitoring infrastructure, and using Orchestrator and Cognition from the terminal.

Task-first guides for the most common CLI operations. Each workflow assumes you have installed the CLI and authenticated.

Deploy an app

Link your project

skytells link sk_proj_your_access_key

Every project-scoped command requires an active access key. Retrieve yours from the project Settings in the Console.

Create the app

skytells apps add my-api --type web

Note the app ID returned — you will use it in subsequent commands.

Set environment variables

skytells env set \
  NODE_ENV=production \
  PORT=3000 \
  --app <app-id>

Deploy

skytells deploy <app-id>

Monitor and verify

# Stream runtime logs to confirm the app started
skytells logs <app-id> --follow

# Confirm running state
skytells status <app-id>

For account setup and project creation in the web interface, see Projects and Apps.

Manage an app

Inspect an app

skytells apps inspect <app-id>

Update environment variables and redeploy

# Update a variable
skytells env set --app <app-id> API_KEY=new-key

# Redeploy to apply the change
skytells apps redeploy <app-id>

# Stream logs to verify
skytells logs <app-id> --follow

Restart vs redeploy

Command	What it does
`skytells apps restart <id>`	Recycles the running process with the same image
`skytells apps redeploy <id>`	Runs the full build pipeline from the current config

Use restart for quick runtime resets. Use redeploy when environment variables or configuration changed.

Stop and start an app

skytells apps stop <app-id>
skytells apps start <app-id>

Delete an app

skytells apps rm <app-id>

Manage deployment history

# List recent deployments
skytells deployments ls --app <app-id> --limit 10

# Trigger a new deployment
skytells deploy <app-id>

# Stream deployment logs
skytells logs <app-id> --type deployment --follow

# Check deployment details
skytells deployments ls --app <app-id> --limit 1 --json

Provision and connect a database

Skytells supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, and Redis. For database management in the web interface, see Databases.

Create the database

# PostgreSQL
skytells databases add production-db postgresql --version 17

# Redis cache
skytells databases add session-cache redis --version 7.4

Retrieve the connection string

DB=$(skytells databases inspect <db-id> --json)
CONN_STR=$(echo $DB | jq -r '.connection_string')
echo $CONN_STR

Inject into your app

skytells env set DATABASE_URL="$CONN_STR" --app <app-id>

Restart the app to apply

skytells apps restart <app-id>

Database lifecycle

skytells databases stop <db-id>
skytells databases start <db-id>
skytells databases deploy <db-id>   # applies pending config changes

Configure custom domains

For domain management in the web interface, see Domains.

Add the domain

skytells domains add api.example.com --app <app-id>

The output includes the DNS record you must configure.

Configure DNS at your registrar

Add the CNAME record shown in the terminal output. For an apex domain (example.com), use an ALIAS or ANAME record if your registrar supports it.

Type:   CNAME
Name:   api
Value:  ingress.skytells.ai

Verify domain status

skytells domains ls

The status changes from pending to verified once DNS propagation is complete (up to 48 hours).

Monitor with logs and status

Check project status

skytells status

Shows all apps and their current state (running, stopped, uptime).

View recent logs

# Latest container logs
skytells logs my-api

# Last 200 lines
skytells logs my-api --tail 200

Stream live logs

skytells logs my-api --follow

Press Ctrl+C to stop. The CLI streams using Server-Sent Events (SSE).

Debug an issue

# Check what's running
skytells status

# View recent logs
skytells logs my-api --tail 200

# Stream live to catch the next error
skytells logs my-api --follow

Provision cloud infrastructure

Skytells runs globally distributed compute, including GPU instances (NVIDIA H100, A100) for AI/ML workloads. See skytells.ai/infrastructure for all regions and plans. For infrastructure management in the web interface, see Infrastructure.

Deploy a general-purpose instance

skytells cloud deploy \
  --region ewr \
  --plan vc2-2c-4gb \
  --os 387 \
  --label "production-server" \
  --hostname "prod-01" \
  --firewall-group fw-prod \
  --ipv6

Deploy a GPU instance

# NVIDIA H100 — for large-scale AI training and generative AI
skytells cloud deploy \
  --region ewr \
  --plan gpu-h100-1 \
  --os 387 \
  --label "h100-training" \
  --tags "gpu,training"

# NVIDIA A100 — for inference and mixed workloads
skytells cloud deploy \
  --region lax \
  --plan gpu-a100-1 \
  --os 387 \
  --label "a100-inference" \
  --tags "gpu,inference"

Browse GPU plans and pricing: skytells.ai/infrastructure. For edge inference deployments, see skytells.ai/edge.

Manage an instance

# List instances and IDs
skytells cloud ls

# Get instance details (includes IP address)
skytells cloud inspect <instance-id>

# Halt when idle (stops billing)
skytells cloud halt <instance-id>

# Restart
skytells cloud reboot <instance-id>

# Destroy permanently
skytells cloud destroy <instance-id>

Monitor Orchestrator workflows

Orchestrator manages automated, multi-step workflows. Use the CLI to inspect executions and analyze performance.

# Check orchestrator health
skytells orchestrator overview

# List workflows
skytells workflows ls

# List recent executions
skytells orchestrator executions --limit 10

# Filter failed executions
skytells orchestrator executions --status failed

# Inspect a specific execution
skytells orchestrator inspect <execution-id>

# View metrics for the current month
skytells orchestrator metrics --from 2026-04-01 --to 2026-04-30

Observe with Cognition

Cognition aggregates errors, security events, anomalies, and runtime performance across your applications.

Daily health check

skytells cognition overview --hours 24
skytells cognition errors --limit 10
skytells cognition security --limit 10
skytells cognition anomalies

Investigate an incident

# 1. Start with the overview
skytells cognition overview --hours 6

# 2. Check errors
skytells cognition errors --limit 20

# 3. Check security events
skytells cognition security

# 4. Review runtime performance
skytells cognition runtime

# 5. Look at time-series for patterns
skytells cognition timeseries --hours 6

# 6. Stream recent events
skytells cognition events --limit 50

How is this guide?

On this page