Deploy to Kubernetes from GitHub Actions with Wodby

This guide starts from an app that already exists in Wodby and has a buildable app service connected to a GitHub repository. The workflow below runs on pushes to main, can also be started manually, and deploys the released images to the selected Wodby app instance.

What you need

• A GitHub integration in Wodby with Git and CI support. GitHub integrations use the Wodby GitHub App, so repository access is controlled during the GitHub App installation.
• A Wodby app instance using GitHub Actions as its CI integration.
• A buildable app service connected to the GitHub repository.
• A Wodby API key from User API keys.
• The buildable app service ID from the service overview in Wodby.

Set up the app in Wodby

In the new app form, choose GitHub Actions as the CI integration on the first step. Later, on the build source step, choose Connect git repository for each buildable app service and select the GitHub integration and repository that should be built by this workflow.

If the GitHub repository is not visible in Wodby, update the Wodby GitHub App installation in GitHub and grant access to that repository or account.

Add GitHub configuration

In the GitHub repository, add WODBY_API_KEY as an Actions secret. Add WODBY_APP_SERVICE_ID as an Actions variable. If the repository has multiple independently sourced buildable services, use the service ID for the service this workflow builds.

Add the workflow

Create .github/workflows/wodby.yml:

name: Deploy to Wodby

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
  workflow_dispatch:

permissions:
  contents: read

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v6

      - uses: wodby/actions/setup-wodby-cli@v1
        with:
          api-key: ${{ secrets.WODBY_API_KEY }}
          app-service-id: ${{ vars.WODBY_APP_SERVICE_ID }}

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: wodby ci run -- npm ci

      - name: Build images
        run: wodby ci build

      - name: Release images
        run: wodby ci release

      - name: Deploy
        run: wodby ci deploy

Adjust the dependency step

The example uses npm ci. Replace that line with the command your stack needs, or remove it if the Docker build handles dependencies itself.

For a PHP service, you may prefer to run Composer inside the PHP app service image:

      - name: Install PHP dependencies
        run: wodby ci run -s php -- composer install -n --no-ansi

For a static frontend that does not have a Node.js service in the stack, run the command with an explicit image:

      - name: Install dependencies with a custom image
        run: wodby ci run -i wodby/node:24 -- npm ci

Post-deployment scripts

If the repository contains .wodby/post-deployment.yml, wodby ci deploy runs those post-deployment steps by default after the app services are deployed. To skip them for a workflow run, deploy with:

      - name: Deploy without post-deployment scripts
        run: wodby ci deploy --skip-post-deploy

What Wodby tracks

Wodby CLI reads GitHub Actions metadata automatically and submits the build information back to Wodby, including the provider, commit SHA, ref, build number, workflow metadata, run ID, commit author, commit message, and post-deployment script information.

Wodby stores the GitHub Actions run ID as the external build ID and uses it to sync build status. Keep workflow_dispatch in the workflow if you want this workflow to be ready for dashboard-triggered builds from Wodby in the future. The Wodby GitHub App also needs repository access with Actions permissions enabled.

Troubleshooting

• If initialization fails, confirm WODBY_API_KEY is a repository or environment secret available to the workflow.
• If Wodby cannot create the build, check that WODBY_APP_SERVICE_ID points to a buildable app service, not the app or app instance ID.
• If Wodby cannot start a fresh GitHub Actions run, check that the workflow has workflow_dispatch and that the GitHub App installation has Actions permissions.
• If dependency commands fail, run them with the correct Wodby service image by passing -s SERVICE, or use a custom image with -i IMAGE.
• If expected post-deployment scripts do not run, confirm the file is committed at .wodby/post-deployment.yml and that the deploy step is not using --skip-post-deploy.

For the generic third-party CI reference, see the Wodby third-party CI docs. For CLI flags and behavior, see the Wodby CLI docs. More pipeline examples for supported CI providers are available in github.com/wodby/wodby-ci.