> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/directus/directus/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Directus Cloud Deployment

> Deploy Directus on Directus Cloud - the fastest way to get started with managed infrastructure, auto-scaling, and global CDN.

Directus Cloud is the official managed hosting platform for Directus, providing a fully-managed solution with everything you need to run Directus in production.

## Overview

Directus Cloud provides:

* Fully managed Directus instances with automatic updates
* PostgreSQL database included and configured
* File storage with global CDN
* Auto-scaling based on your traffic
* Automatic backups and disaster recovery
* 99.9% uptime SLA
* Global regions for optimal performance

## Getting Started

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create an Account">
    Visit [Directus Cloud](https://directus.cloud) and create a new account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a Project">
    From the Cloud dashboard, click "Create Project" and select your desired:

    * Project name
    * Region (choose closest to your users)
    * Plan tier based on your needs
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Your Project">
    Your project will be provisioned in approximately 90 seconds. During setup:

    * Database is automatically configured
    * Storage is connected
    * CDN is enabled globally
  </Step>

  <Step title="Access Your Instance">
    Once provisioned, you'll receive:

    * Your Directus URL (e.g., `https://your-project.directus.app`)
    * Admin credentials
    * Database connection details
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Pricing

Directus Cloud offers flexible pricing starting at \$15/month:

* **Starter**: Perfect for small projects and development
* **Team**: For growing teams with increased limits
* **Business**: Enterprise features and dedicated support
* **Enterprise**: Custom infrastructure and SLA

Visit [directus.io/pricing](https://directus.io/pricing) for current pricing details.

## Features

### Automatic Scaling

Directus Cloud automatically scales your infrastructure based on demand:

* Compute resources scale with traffic
* Storage expands as needed
* Database connections optimized automatically

### Monitoring

Built-in monitoring dashboard provides:

* Real-time performance metrics
* Request analytics
* Error tracking and logging
* Resource usage insights

### Backups

Automatic backups ensure data safety:

* Daily automated backups
* Point-in-time recovery
* One-click restore functionality
* Backup retention based on plan

### Security

* Automatic SSL/TLS certificates
* DDoS protection
* SOC 2 Type II certified infrastructure
* GDPR compliant

## Managing Your Project

### Environment Variables

Configure your Directus instance through the Cloud dashboard:

1. Navigate to your project settings
2. Click "Environment Variables"
3. Add or modify variables
4. Click "Save and Restart"

Common environment variables:

```bash theme={null}
# Email configuration
EMAIL_TRANSPORT=smtp
EMAIL_SMTP_HOST=smtp.example.com
EMAIL_SMTP_PORT=587
EMAIL_SMTP_USER=your-email@example.com
EMAIL_SMTP_PASSWORD=your-password

# Authentication
AUTH_PROVIDERS=google,github

# File storage limits
FILES_MAX_UPLOAD_SIZE=100mb
```

### Custom Domains

Connect your own domain:

1. Go to project settings → Domains
2. Add your custom domain
3. Update your DNS records with provided CNAME
4. SSL certificate is automatically provisioned

### Extensions

Install custom extensions:

1. Upload your extension files via the dashboard
2. Extensions are automatically loaded on restart
3. Or connect a Git repository for automatic deployment

## Migration from Self-Hosted

To migrate an existing Directus instance to Cloud:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Export Your Data">
    Export your schema and data from your self-hosted instance:

    ```bash theme={null}
    npx directus schema snapshot ./snapshot.yaml
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Cloud Project">
    Provision a new Directus Cloud project in your desired region.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Import Schema">
    Import your schema snapshot:

    ```bash theme={null}
    npx directus schema apply ./snapshot.yaml
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Migrate Data">
    Export and import your data using the Directus API or database tools.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Update URLs">
    Update your application to point to the new Cloud URL.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Support

Directus Cloud includes:

* **Community Support**: Access to Discord and community forums (all plans)
* **Email Support**: Direct support via email (Team plan and above)
* **Priority Support**: Guaranteed response times (Business and Enterprise)
* **Dedicated Support**: Slack/Teams integration and dedicated engineer (Enterprise)

## Limitations

Be aware of plan-specific limitations:

* API requests per month
* File storage capacity
* Database size limits
* Number of team members
* Custom extension limits

Check your current plan limits in the Cloud dashboard under Usage.

## Resources

* [Directus Cloud Dashboard](https://directus.cloud)
* [Cloud Documentation](https://docs.directus.io/cloud/)
* [Status Page](https://status.directus.cloud)
* [Pricing Details](https://directus.io/pricing)