fly deploy error
i destroyed my fly db app and created another one and attached the db app to my server app. when i run wasp deploy fly deploy i get an error saying that i dont have a database url on the server app but the secret is there. whats causing this?
}
]
🚀 Your server app does not have a DATABASE_URL secret set. Perhaps you need to create or attach your database?
❌ --- [Error] Deploy command failed: ---------------------------------------------
16 Replies
Hi @Bruno Njeru. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave:
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The error message you're seeing—"Your server app does not have a DATABASE_URL secret set. Perhaps you need to create or attach your database?"—typically means that the Fly server app does not have the DATABASE_URL environment variable (secret) set, even though you believe it is.
Based on the knowledge sources, here are the most likely causes and steps to resolve:
1. Attaching the Database Doesn't Always Set the Secret Automatically
When you destroy and recreate a Fly Postgres database and then attach it to your server app, Fly should set the DATABASE_URL secret on your server app. However, sometimes this step fails or the secret isn't updated correctly, especially if the previous secret still exists or if the attach process didn't complete successfully. This is echoed in user experiences where manual intervention was needed after database changes or attach failures, and the error message you see is a direct result of the missing or incorrect DATABASE_URL secret on the server app, not the database app itself [Manual Deployment: Environment Variables]. 2. How to Fix
- Check if the DATABASE_URL secret is set on your server app:
Run: If DATABASE_URL is not listed, it is missing. - Set or update the DATABASE_URL secret manually:
Get the correct connection string for your new database (you can find this in the Fly dashboard or by running
After setting the secret, run: 3. Why This Happens
If you destroy and recreate the database, the old DATABASE_URL secret may still point to the deleted database, or may be missing entirely if the attach step failed. The Wasp CLI and Fly rely on this secret being present and correct for deployments to work [Manual Deployment: Environment Variables]. 4. Extra Troubleshooting
If you continue to have issues, ensure that: - The database is fully initialized and accessible. - The server app is attached to the correct database. - No old or conflicting secrets are present. If you follow these steps and set the DATABASE_URL secret correctly, the error should be resolved. If not, there may be a deeper issue with the Fly or Wasp CLI state, in which case starting from scratch (destroying both apps and re-creating) may be necessary, as some users have reported [Fly deployment error handling]. Let me know if you need more detailed steps for any part of this process! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
When you destroy and recreate a Fly Postgres database and then attach it to your server app, Fly should set the DATABASE_URL secret on your server app. However, sometimes this step fails or the secret isn't updated correctly, especially if the previous secret still exists or if the attach process didn't complete successfully. This is echoed in user experiences where manual intervention was needed after database changes or attach failures, and the error message you see is a direct result of the missing or incorrect DATABASE_URL secret on the server app, not the database app itself [Manual Deployment: Environment Variables]. 2. How to Fix
- Check if the DATABASE_URL secret is set on your server app:
Run: If DATABASE_URL is not listed, it is missing. - Set or update the DATABASE_URL secret manually:
Get the correct connection string for your new database (you can find this in the Fly dashboard or by running
flyctl postgres credentials -a <your-db-app-name>), then set it on your server app:
- Retry the deployment:After setting the secret, run: 3. Why This Happens
If you destroy and recreate the database, the old DATABASE_URL secret may still point to the deleted database, or may be missing entirely if the attach step failed. The Wasp CLI and Fly rely on this secret being present and correct for deployments to work [Manual Deployment: Environment Variables]. 4. Extra Troubleshooting
If you continue to have issues, ensure that: - The database is fully initialized and accessible. - The server app is attached to the correct database. - No old or conflicting secrets are present. If you follow these steps and set the DATABASE_URL secret correctly, the error should be resolved. If not, there may be a deeper issue with the Fly or Wasp CLI state, in which case starting from scratch (destroying both apps and re-creating) may be necessary, as some users have reported [Fly deployment error handling]. Let me know if you need more detailed steps for any part of this process! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
when i run fly secrets list the env variable is there @kapa.ai
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books:
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If you run fly secrets list and see that the DATABASE_URL environment variable is present, but you are still getting the error that it is missing during deployment, this could be due to a few reasons based on the knowledge sources:
1. Secret Set on the Wrong App
Make sure you are listing and setting the secret on the correct Fly app (your server app, not the database app). The DATABASE_URL secret must be set on the server app, as that's where Wasp expects it during deployment [Manual Deployment: Environment Variables]. 2. Stale or Incorrect Secret
If you destroyed and recreated your database, the old DATABASE_URL secret might still be present but point to the wrong (now non-existent) database. Double-check that the value of DATABASE_URL matches your new database's credentials. 3. Attach Process Inconsistency
Sometimes, after destroying and recreating the database, the attach process may not update the secret correctly. In such cases, manually resetting the DATABASE_URL secret with the correct value can resolve the issue. 4. Deployment State Issues
There are reports that even when the secret is present, Prisma or the Wasp CLI may still throw an error during build or deploy if the environment is not set up exactly as expected. Some users have worked around this by setting the DATABASE_URL inline during build, but this is not the recommended approach for production [Discord support thread]. What to do next: - Double-check that you are running flyctl secrets list -a <your-server-app-name> and not on the database app. - If the secret is present, try resetting it with the correct value: - Retry the deployment. If the problem persists even after confirming the secret is present and correct, the knowledge sources do not provide a definitive solution for this scenario. It may be a bug or a state issue with Fly or Wasp, in which case reaching out on the Wasp Discord or GitHub issues for further troubleshooting is recommended. Let me know if you need help with any of these steps! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
Make sure you are listing and setting the secret on the correct Fly app (your server app, not the database app). The DATABASE_URL secret must be set on the server app, as that's where Wasp expects it during deployment [Manual Deployment: Environment Variables]. 2. Stale or Incorrect Secret
If you destroyed and recreated your database, the old DATABASE_URL secret might still be present but point to the wrong (now non-existent) database. Double-check that the value of DATABASE_URL matches your new database's credentials. 3. Attach Process Inconsistency
Sometimes, after destroying and recreating the database, the attach process may not update the secret correctly. In such cases, manually resetting the DATABASE_URL secret with the correct value can resolve the issue. 4. Deployment State Issues
There are reports that even when the secret is present, Prisma or the Wasp CLI may still throw an error during build or deploy if the environment is not set up exactly as expected. Some users have worked around this by setting the DATABASE_URL inline during build, but this is not the recommended approach for production [Discord support thread]. What to do next: - Double-check that you are running flyctl secrets list -a <your-server-app-name> and not on the database app. - If the secret is present, try resetting it with the correct value: - Retry the deployment. If the problem persists even after confirming the secret is present and correct, the knowledge sources do not provide a definitive solution for this scenario. It may be a bug or a state issue with Fly or Wasp, in which case reaching out on the Wasp Discord or GitHub issues for further troubleshooting is recommended. Let me know if you need help with any of these steps! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
can i deploy setting the database url same as client side variablrs @kapa.ai REACT_APP_ANOTHER_VAR=somevalue wasp deploy fly deploy
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books:
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No, you should not set the DATABASE_URL environment variable for the server in the same way as client-side variables (e.g., REACT_APP_ANOTHER_VAR=somevalue wasp deploy fly deploy).
Client-side environment variables (those prefixed with REACTAPP) are embedded into the client code at build time and are meant to be public. You can set them inline with the build or deploy command, and they will be available in your client code via import.meta.env.REACT_APP_SOME_VAR_NAME [Defining Env Vars in Production].
Server-side environment variables like DATABASE_URL are handled differently. For production deployments (such as on Fly.io), you must set them using the Fly CLI as secrets, for example:
This ensures they are securely available to your server at runtime [Manual Deployment: Environment Variables].
Setting DATABASE_URL inline with wasp deploy fly deploy (e.g., DATABASE_URL=... wasp deploy fly deploy) is not the recommended or supported way for production deployments. This method is sometimes used for local development or one-off commands, but for production, secrets should be managed via your deployment platform's secret management system [Connecting to a Database].
Summary:
- Use REACTAPP... inline for client variables during build/deploy. - Use flyctl secrets set for server variables like DATABASE_URL in production. Let me know if you need more details on either process! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
- Use REACTAPP... inline for client variables during build/deploy. - Use flyctl secrets set for server variables like DATABASE_URL in production. Let me know if you need more details on either process! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
even after setting th database url i still get
🚀 Your server app does not have a DATABASE_URL secret set. Perhaps you need to create or attach your database?
❌ --- [Error] Deploy command failed: ---------------------------------------------
@kapa.ai @Wasp Team
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books:
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Based on the knowledge sources, if you have set the DATABASE_URL secret on your Fly server app but still receive the error:
Set it again explicitly to ensure it is correct: 2. Check for multiple apps or misnamed apps
Make sure you are not confusing app names or environments. Sometimes, leftover configuration files or misnamed apps can cause this issue [Fly deployment error handling]. 3. Restart the deployment process
If the above does not work, some users have reported that deleting all Fly machines and starting from scratch resolved the issue, especially if the CLI or Fly state became inconsistent [Fly deployment error handling]. If the problem persists:
The knowledge sources do not provide a definitive solution for this scenario beyond the steps above. It may be a bug or a state issue with Fly or Wasp. In that case, reaching out on the Wasp Discord or GitHub issues for further troubleshooting is recommended. Let me know if you need help with any of these steps! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
🚀 Your server app does not have a DATABASE_URL secret set. Perhaps you need to create or attach your database?this suggests a possible mismatch between what Wasp/Fly expects and the current state of your deployment. Key points from the sources: - The DATABASE_URL secret must be set on the server app, not the database app. Double-check you are running
flyctl secrets list -a <your-server-app-name> and not on the database app [Manual Deployment: Environment Variables].
- If you destroyed and recreated your database, the old DATABASE_URL secret might still be present but point to the wrong database, or the attach process may not have updated the secret correctly [Fly deployment error handling].
- There are reports that even when the secret is present, the Wasp CLI or Prisma may still throw this error if the environment is not set up exactly as expected. Some users have had to reset the secret or even start from scratch [Discord support thread].
What you can try:
1. Reset the DATABASE_URL secretSet it again explicitly to ensure it is correct: 2. Check for multiple apps or misnamed apps
Make sure you are not confusing app names or environments. Sometimes, leftover configuration files or misnamed apps can cause this issue [Fly deployment error handling]. 3. Restart the deployment process
If the above does not work, some users have reported that deleting all Fly machines and starting from scratch resolved the issue, especially if the CLI or Fly state became inconsistent [Fly deployment error handling]. If the problem persists:
The knowledge sources do not provide a definitive solution for this scenario beyond the steps above. It may be a bug or a state issue with Fly or Wasp. In that case, reaching out on the Wasp Discord or GitHub issues for further troubleshooting is recommended. Let me know if you need help with any of these steps! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
the secret is set on the server app as you can see but im still getting },
{
"name": "DATABASE_URL",
"digest": "6b39f5769635e763"
}
]
🚀 Your server app does not have a DATABASE_URL secret set. Perhaps you need to create or attach your database?
❌ --- [Error] Deploy command failed: ---------------------------------------------
Deploy command failed with exit code: 1 @kapa.ai @Wasp Team
Wohooo @Bruno Njeru, you just became a Waspeteer level 8!
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books:
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Given that you have confirmed the DATABASE_URL secret is set on your server app (as shown in the output), but you are still getting the error:
I'm sorry, but the knowledge sources do not contain enough information to explain why this error occurs when the DATABASE_URL secret is visibly set on the server app. The best-documented steps are to reset the secret, ensure you are targeting the correct app, and, if the issue persists, consider deleting and recreating your Fly apps as a last resort. If none of these resolve the issue, reaching out on the Wasp Discord or GitHub issues is recommended, as this may be a bug or an edge case not covered in the documentation or issues. If you need help with the reset or full redeploy process, let me know! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
🚀 Your server app does not have a DATABASE_URL secret set. Perhaps you need to create or attach your database?the knowledge sources suggest a few possible causes and troubleshooting steps, but do not provide a definitive solution for this exact scenario. What the sources confirm: - The DATABASE_URL secret must be set on the server app, not the database app, and you have confirmed this is the case [Manual Deployment: Environment Variables]. - There are known issues where, after destroying and recreating the database or reattaching, the Wasp CLI or Fly may not recognize the secret even though it is present. Users have reported needing to reset the secret, ensure the correct app is targeted, or even start from scratch if the CLI or Fly state becomes inconsistent [Fly deployment error handling]. - Some users have experienced similar issues and resolved them by deleting all Fly machines and redeploying, especially if there were leftover configuration files or state mismatches [Fly deployment error handling]. What is not clear from the sources: - There is no explicit explanation for why the Wasp CLI sometimes fails to detect the DATABASE_URL secret even when it is set. - There is no documented workaround beyond resetting the secret, double-checking app names, and potentially starting from scratch. Summary:
I'm sorry, but the knowledge sources do not contain enough information to explain why this error occurs when the DATABASE_URL secret is visibly set on the server app. The best-documented steps are to reset the secret, ensure you are targeting the correct app, and, if the issue persists, consider deleting and recreating your Fly apps as a last resort. If none of these resolve the issue, reaching out on the Wasp Discord or GitHub issues is recommended, as this may be a bug or an edge case not covered in the documentation or issues. If you need help with the reset or full redeploy process, let me know! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
can i deploy the server app only @kapa.ai
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books:
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Yes, you can deploy only the server app when deploying a Wasp application. The manual deployment documentation describes how to deploy just the API server (backend) by building your app with wasp build, then deploying the server Docker image from the .wasp/build directory to your hosting provider (such as Fly.io or Railway). This process is separate from deploying the client (frontend), so you can deploy only the server if needed [Deploying the API Server (backend)].
For example, on Railway, you would:
1. Build your app:
2. Move into the server build directory:
3. Deploy the server using your provider’s CLI (e.g., railway up or flyctl deploy). Just make sure the required environment variables are set for the server app [Environment Variables]. The Wasp CLI’s automated deploy commands (like wasp deploy fly launch) deploy both client and server, but manual deployment gives you full control to deploy only the server if you wish. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
2. Move into the server build directory:
3. Deploy the server using your provider’s CLI (e.g., railway up or flyctl deploy). Just make sure the required environment variables are set for the server app [Environment Variables]. The Wasp CLI’s automated deploy commands (like wasp deploy fly launch) deploy both client and server, but manual deployment gives you full control to deploy only the server if you wish. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
cant i just use fly deploy -a <server-app> @kapa.ai
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books:
----------------------
Yes, you can use the Fly CLI directly to deploy only the server app by running:
This is the standard approach described in the Wasp manual deployment documentation for deploying the backend only. You should run this command from the
.wasp/build/ directory after building your app with wasp build. If you have a custom fly.toml file (for example, if you copied it to your project root), you can specify it with the --config option:
This will build and deploy the backend of your Wasp app on Fly.io [Deploy to a Fly.io App].
Just ensure that all required environment variables (like DATABASE_URL) are set on your server app before deploying [Environment Variables].
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Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon:
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Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist:
Perhaps try again in 15mins?what about the client? @kapa.ai
Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books:
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For the client (frontend), you deploy it separately from the server. The Wasp client is a static web app, so you can deploy it to any static hosting provider (such as Netlify, Vercel, or even Fly.io if you wish).
Manual deployment steps for the client:
1. Build the client:
Go to the client build directory: Then build the client, setting the API URL: This will generate the production-ready static files in the
You can now deploy the contents of the
- The client is deployed separately from the server. - You can use any static hosting provider. - Make sure to set the correct API URL during the build step. Let me know if you need specific instructions for a particular hosting provider! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?
Go to the client build directory: Then build the client, setting the API URL: This will generate the production-ready static files in the
build/ directory [Deploying the Web Client (frontend)].
2. Deploy the static files:You can now deploy the contents of the
build/ directory to your preferred static hosting provider. For example, with Netlify:
Or, if you want to use Fly.io, you would need to set up a static file server (like using a Dockerfile with pierrezemb/gostatic) and deploy it as a separate Fly app [Netlify (client)].
Summary:- The client is deployed separately from the server. - You can use any static hosting provider. - Make sure to set the correct API URL during the build step. Let me know if you need specific instructions for a particular hosting provider! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ---------------------- Sorry @Bruno Njeru, I seem to be having a bit of trouble. Don't worry though, I've pinged my support and they will try to fix me up! :technologist: Perhaps try again in 15mins?