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Site Management
The Espresso Cloud dashboard is where you create sites, watch their health, deploy updates, and run day-to-day operations — all without SSH or bench commands.
This guide covers creating a site, browsing the Frappe Sites list, and operating the per-site Site Management page. For deeper topics, see the linked guides in each section.
Overview
- Create a new site — provision a site from the Create Site form.
- Frappe Sites list — find and open any site you own or manage.
- Site detail page — status, uptime, and quick actions for one site.
- Action bar — backup, restore, restart, and other operational controls.
- Backups — schedule, retention, and backup history.
- Installed apps — what is deployed on the site right now.
- Release history — deployment log, logs, and rollback.
- Edit site — domains, notifications, apps, and configuration.
Create a new site
From Frappe Sites, click + New Site to open the Create Site form. Fill in each section, then click Create Site to start the first deployment.
Site name
Enter a Site Name — this becomes your site's default domain:
your-site-name.zimplify.cloud
The name must be unique across Espresso. It cannot be changed after creation.
Connect your domain
You can add custom domains on the create form or later in Edit Site. Click + Add custom domain and follow the CNAME instructions shown in the form. See Connect a Custom Domain for the full DNS walkthrough.
Deployment notifications
Espresso emails people when this site deploys. You (the owner) are included by default — choose Don't notify me to opt out.
For each extra address, click + Add Email and pick a notification level:
| Option | When emails are sent |
|---|---|
| Failures & successes | Every deployment — success or failure. |
| Failures only | Only when a deploy fails. |
| Don't notify me | No emails for that address. |
Environment
Choose an Environment label (e.g. dev, staging, prod). This is only for organizing and filtering your sites list — it does not change how the site is built.
Frappe version
Pick the Frappe Version for the first deployment. It defaults to the latest major version (e.g. version-16). Type in the dropdown to search for a specific release tag, e.g. v16.13.0.
Hosting
Choose where the site runs:
| Option | When to use |
|---|---|
| Espresso Cloud (managed for you) | Espresso provisions and manages the server — no server selection needed. |
| Bring your own cloud | Deploy on a server you own and have already connected to Espresso. See BYOC Setup. |
The hosting server cannot be changed after the site is created.
Enable Hydra
Check Enable Hydra to turn on Hydra AI for this site. Hydra is Espresso's in-desk ERPNext assistant — your team can describe workflows, forms, and automations in plain English and build them after approval.
When enabled, Hydra credits from your Espresso plan are used on this site for each AI action. Leave the box unchecked if you do not need Hydra on this site yet — you can still use the site normally for ERPNext.
After the site is live, give users access with the Hydra User or Hydra Admin role. See Give people access.
Apps
Click + Add from Catalog to open the Add App dialog and pick apps for the first deploy. See App & Github Configuration for the catalog, GitHub, and manual entry options.
Site configuration
Optionally set site_config.json keys before the first deploy. Use Simple mode for individual key/value pairs, or Advanced for full JSON.
See Site Configuration (site_config.json) for value types, reserved keys, and examples.
Custom Caddyfile (optional)
Most sites should leave this empty — Espresso manages routing automatically. Expand Edit Caddyfile only if you need custom reverse-proxy rules. Click Load default template to start from the platform template.
Available template variables: {site_name}, {site_domain}, {upstream_ip}, {upstream_port}, {domains}.
Create or cancel
Click Create Site to save and start provisioning. Espresso builds the release image, deploys the site, and sends deployment notifications to the addresses you configured.
Click Cancel to return to the Frappe Sites list without creating anything.
Once the first deploy completes, open the site from the list to reach Site Management — uptime, backups, release history, and day-to-day controls.
Frappe Sites list
Open Frappe Sites from the Espresso Cloud dashboard to see every site in your account.
My Sites and All Sites
Use the toggle at the top to switch views:
- My Sites — sites you own.
- All Sites — every site you have access to, including sites shared with your team. Sites are grouped under the owner's email address.
Search
Use the search bar to filter by site name, environment label, or owner. Click Search to apply the filter.
What each column shows
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The site's domain (e.g. your-site.zimplify.cloud). Click to open Site Management. |
| Environment | A label you assign (e.g. dev, prod) to organize sites — it does not change how the site is built. |
| Frappe Version | The Frappe framework branch deployed on the site (e.g. version-15). |
| Image Tag | The current release identifier (e.g. your-site-release-004). |
| Apps | A summary of installed apps, when available. |
| Status | The latest deployment state (e.g. Deployment Complete). |
| Health | Uptime monitor status — Up or Down, with a 24-hour uptime percentage. |
| Actions | Open Edit Site for that row. |
Click + New Site in the top right to open the Create Site form.
Site detail page
Click a site name to open its Site Management page. The header shows:
- Site URL — the site's primary domain.
- Environment — your environment label (e.g.
PROD). - Server — the hosting server name and IP address.
Header actions
| Action | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Back | Return to the Frappe Sites list. |
| Visit Site | Open the live ERPNext site in a new tab. |
| Trigger Release | Start a new deployment with the current site configuration and app branches. |
| Duplicate | Create a copy of this site (same apps and settings on a new domain). |
| Edit Site | Open the full settings form — domains, apps, notifications, and config. |
Uptime monitor
The Uptime Monitor section shows whether the site is currently reachable and historical uptime:
- Current status — Up (green) or Down.
- 24h / 30d / 365d — uptime percentages for each window.
Click Open Status Page for a dedicated public status view.
Current status
Below uptime, Current Status summarizes the active deployment:
- Deployment status — e.g. Deployment Complete, with the build timestamp.
- Frappe Version — the framework version in the current release.
- Release Tag — the identifier for this deployment (matches Image Tag on the sites list).
- Created Date — when the site was first provisioned.
Action bar
The Action Bar on the right holds the primary operational controls for the site:
| Action | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Restore Backup | Upload backup files from your computer to roll back the site. See Restore DB from Backup. |
| Backup Now | Take an immediate on-site backup outside the daily schedule. |
| Restart Site | Restart the site containers without redeploying or changing data. |
| Enable One-Click Login | Generate a temporary admin login link for quick access without resetting the password. |
| Delete Site | Permanently remove the site and all its data. This cannot be undone. |
Before you delete
Deleting a site removes its database, files, backups on the server, and deployment history. Download any backups you need first, and confirm no production traffic still points at the domain.
Backups
The Backups section summarizes your on-site backup policy:
- Last Backup — timestamp of the most recent successful snapshot.
- Retention — how many backup sets are kept (e.g. Last 7 backup sets kept). Older snapshots are removed automatically.
- Schedule — when automated backups run (e.g. Daily at 02:00 (server time)).
Click View Backups to browse and download retained snapshots.
To change retention or enable daily backups, open Edit Site — backup settings live in site settings. For the full backup and restore walkthrough, see Restore DB from Backup. For off-site copies in S3, see Offline Backup via S3.
Installed apps
The Apps table lists every Frappe app deployed on the site:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | App identifier (e.g. erpnext, hrms). |
| GitHub URL | Source repository for the app. |
| Branch | Tag or branch pinned for this release (e.g. v15.93.2). |
| Status | Installed when the app is part of the current deployment. |
This reflects what is running now. To add, remove, or change app repos and branches, use Edit Site — see App & Github Configuration.
Release history
Release History is an audit trail of every deployment for the site.
Each row shows:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Release | Release identifier (e.g. your-site-release-063). |
| Status | Outcome of the deploy (e.g. Deployment Completed). |
| Frappe Version | Framework version used for that release. |
| Apps | Number of apps included — expand to see the full list. |
| Date | When the deployment finished. |
| Actions | View Logs for build output; Rollback to redeploy a previous release. |
The current (active) release is highlighted and does not offer Rollback — you are already on it.
Roll back a release
If a deployment introduced a problem, roll back to a known-good release:
- Open Release History on the site.
- Find the release you want to return to.
- Click Rollback.
Espresso redeploys that release's image — the same Frappe version and app branches that were live at that point. Rollback is faster than restoring a database backup when the issue is a bad deploy rather than bad data.
Rollback vs restore
Use Rollback when code or app versions are wrong. Use Restore Backup when database content or uploaded files need to go back in time. See Restore DB from Backup.
View deployment logs
Click View Logs on any release to inspect the build and deploy output. This is the first place to look when a deployment fails or an app does not install as expected.
Use the filter dropdown to narrow by release type, and pagination controls to browse older entries.
Edit site
Click Edit Site (from the site header or the sites list) to change settings that are not locked after creation.
Read-only fields
These are set at creation and cannot be changed later:
- Site Name — the site's domain.
- Hosting — the server the site runs on.
Connect your domain
Add up to three custom domains with a CNAME record pointing at your site's default *.zimplify.cloud address. See Connect a Custom Domain for the full DNS walkthrough.
Deployment notifications
Add email addresses to receive deployment alerts. For each address, choose whether to notify on Failures only or Failures & successes. The site owner is included by default.
Environment and Frappe version
- Environment — an organizational label (
dev,staging,prod, etc.). It helps you filter the sites list; it does not change build behavior. - Frappe Version — the framework branch or tag for the next deployment. Changing this takes effect on the next Trigger Release or webhook deploy.
App management
Each installed app appears as a card with its repo, branch, and status. Click + Add from Catalog to open Add App and attach more apps. Use Edit to change the branch or repo URL, or Remove to drop the app from the next deploy. After saving, trigger a release (or wait for a webhook) to apply changes.
See App & Github Configuration for the catalog, connected GitHub repos, and manual entry.
Site configuration
Set site_config.json keys from the Site Configuration section — Simple mode for individual key/value pairs, or Advanced mode for full JSON. Changes apply on the next deploy.
See Site Configuration (site_config.json) for value types, reserved keys, and examples.
Custom Caddyfile (optional)
Most sites do not need this. If you must customize reverse-proxy routing (for example, WOPI endpoints for document collaboration), expand Custom Caddyfile Configuration and edit the template.
Available template variables: {site_name}, {site_domain}, {upstream_ip}, {upstream_port}, {domains}.
Leave this section empty unless you have a specific routing requirement — Espresso manages site routing automatically.
Save or cancel
Click Save Changes to store your edits. App, config, and Caddyfile changes take effect on the next deployment. Click Cancel to discard unsaved edits.
Good to know
- One dashboard for operations. Browse sites, check health, deploy, roll back, back up, and edit settings without SSH.
- Deploy when you are ready. Saving edits in Edit Site does not redeploy automatically — use Trigger Release or your GitHub webhook to apply app and config changes.
- Health vs deployment status. Deployment Complete means the last build succeeded. Up in the uptime monitor means the site is responding to HTTP checks right now — a site can be up while a new deploy is in progress.
- Pair on-site and off-site backups. Download on-site snapshots from Site Management when you need a quick rollback; use S3 backups when the server is lost. See Restore DB from Backup and Offline Backup via S3.
Need help? Reach out at support@espresso.zimplify.tech with your site name and a screenshot of the issue.