CLI

The OrbitLab CLI does everything the dashboard does for your projects: deploy from Git, manage environment variables, read logs, attach domains, edit DNS, query databases, manage files and your organization, and pay for services. It talks to the REST API with an API token.

Install

npm install -g @orbitlab/cli
orbitlab --version

The CLI needs Node.js 18.17 or later and has no other dependencies. You can also run it without installing: npx @orbitlab/cli <command>.

Log in

orbitlab login

The CLI shows a short code and opens your browser. Check that the code matches, choose which organizations the CLI may access, and click Authorize. The CLI then saves an API token in ~/.config/orbitlab/config.json, readable only by you. The token expires after 90 days; run orbitlab login again when it does.

Already have a token? Pipe it in so it stays out of your shell history: orbitlab login --with-token < token.txt
On a server without a browser: orbitlab login --no-browser and open the printed link on any device.
orbitlab whoami shows the account, organization and token in use.
orbitlab logout revokes the saved token and removes it from the machine.

In CI, don’t run orbitlab login. Create a token in Dashboard → Settings → API tokens and expose it as the ORBITLAB_TOKEN environment variable.

Choose an organization

Commands act on one organization at a time. By default it’s the first organization you joined.

orbitlab orgs ls              # * marks the organization in use
orbitlab orgs switch acme     # id, slug or name
orbitlab services ls --org beta

The organization is chosen from, in order: --org, the ORBITLAB_ORG variable, the linked project, then orbitlab orgs switch. A token restricted to one organization always uses that organization.

Link a directory

Link your project directory to its service so you don’t have to repeat the service name:

cd my-app
orbitlab link my-app
orbitlab deploy --wait
orbitlab env ls

orbitlab link writes .orbitlab/project.json (service and organization ids, no secrets) and adds .orbitlab to .gitignore. It works from any subdirectory. Remove it with orbitlab unlink. Commands also accept a service id, name or domain as an argument or with --service.

Deploy from Git

Order an app, connect its repository, then deploy:

orbitlab plans ls --type application
orbitlab buy app --plan app-1 --label api
orbitlab services ls
orbitlab services setup api --repo https://github.com/acme/api \
  --build-cmd "npm run build" --start-cmd "npm start" --env NODE_ENV=production

Private GitHub repositories are detected automatically once the GitHub App is installed (orbitlab git connect).

orbitlab deploy                     # production branch
orbitlab deploy --commit 3f2c1ab    # a specific commit
orbitlab deploy --wait              # stream the build log; exit code 1 if it fails
orbitlab deployments ls
orbitlab deployments logs <deploymentId>
orbitlab restart
orbitlab settings set --branch release --root-dir apps/api

Environment variables

orbitlab env ls                   # values hidden; add --reveal to show them
orbitlab env set API_URL=https://api.example.com SENTRY_DSN=https://…
orbitlab env rm OLD_KEY
orbitlab env pull .env.local      # download to a file
orbitlab env push .env.production # upload a file

Changes apply on the next deploy or after orbitlab restart.

Logs and metrics

orbitlab logs --since 1h
orbitlab logs --follow --stream stderr
orbitlab logs -q "timeout"
orbitlab logs --runtime             # live output of the running container
orbitlab requests --status 5xx --since 30m
orbitlab metrics
orbitlab metrics --history --from 24h

Domains and DNS

orbitlab domains check example.cd
orbitlab domains buy example.cd --quantity 2
orbitlab domains add www.example.com       # attach to the linked service
orbitlab domains verify www.example.com    # after creating the printed DNS records
orbitlab domains update example.cd --auto-renew --lock --privacy
orbitlab domains auth-code example.cd

To move a domain’s DNS to OrbitLab, run orbitlab domains import example.com, set the nameservers it prints at your registrar, then run orbitlab domains activate example.com.

orbitlab dns ls example.com
orbitlab dns add example.com www CNAME web.orbitlab.sh
orbitlab dns add example.com @ MX mail.example.com --priority 10
orbitlab dns add example.com @ TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all"
orbitlab dns update example.com <recordId> --value 203.0.113.10
orbitlab dns rm example.com <recordId>

Databases

orbitlab db ls
orbitlab db inspect app-db              # credentials for owners and admins
orbitlab db tables app-db
orbitlab db rows app-db users --limit 20
orbitlab db query app-db "SELECT count(*) FROM users"
orbitlab db create shop --service my-site   # shared hosting

Files and SFTP

Paths are relative to the site root (WordPress, PHP) or to the app’s persistent storage in /app/data.

orbitlab files ls wp-content/uploads
orbitlab files get wp-config.php
orbitlab files put ./logo.png wp-content/uploads
orbitlab files mkdir backups
orbitlab files sftp

WordPress

orbitlab wp actions
orbitlab wp run cache:flush --wait
orbitlab wp run plugin:install --param slug=wordfence --wait
orbitlab wp reset-admin --password "a-long-new-password"

Shared hosting

orbitlab buy hosting --plan starter --period yearly
orbitlab hostings ls
orbitlab hostings add-website <hostingId> --template wordpress --label blog
orbitlab orders provision <orderId> --template php-starter

Billing

orbitlab buy vps --plan vps-1
orbitlab buy app --plan app-1 --pay mobile-money --phone +243812345678 --autopay --wait
orbitlab promo validate WELCOME --plan app-1
orbitlab orders ls
orbitlab orders invoice <orderId>
orbitlab billing ls
orbitlab billing renew service api
orbitlab billing autopay --disable

Orders are paid with Mobile Money: a payment request is sent to --phone, and the provider is detected from the number, or pass --network. Free orders, such as one fully covered by --promo, need no phone number. Card payments are currently unavailable.

Organization and access

orbitlab members ls
orbitlab invitations create dev@example.com --role admin
orbitlab members role dev@example.com member
orbitlab members rm dev@example.com
orbitlab tokens ls
orbitlab tokens rm <tokenId>

Scripting and CI

--json prints machine-readable output on stdout. Progress messages go to stderr.
Commands that delete or change something important ask for confirmation. Pass --yes (-y) in scripts.
Exit codes: 0 success, 1 failure (API error, failed deployment, domain not verified), 2 invalid usage.
orbitlab api calls any API endpoint with your credentials: orbitlab api /v1/services -F type=app.

Deploy a commit after your tests pass with GitHub Actions:

.github/workflows/deploy.yml

name: Deploy
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: 20
      - run: npx @orbitlab/cli deploy ${{ vars.ORBITLAB_SERVICE }} --commit ${{ github.sha }} --wait
        env:
          ORBITLAB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.ORBITLAB_TOKEN }}

Global options and environment variables

Option	Variable	Description
`--token <token>`	`ORBITLAB_TOKEN`	API token to use instead of the saved login
`--org <org>`	`ORBITLAB_ORG`	Organization id or slug
`--api-url <url>`	`ORBITLAB_API_URL`	API base URL (default `https://orbitlab.dev`)
`--json`		Print JSON
`-y`, `--yes`		Skip confirmations
`--debug`		Log HTTP requests to stderr
	`ORBITLAB_CONFIG_DIR`	Where the login is saved (default `~/.config/orbitlab`)
	`NO_COLOR`	Disable colors

Command reference

Run orbitlab help for the list and orbitlab <command> --help for all options of a command.

Command	Description
`orbitlab login`	Log in and save an API token on this machine
`orbitlab logout`	Revoke the saved token and forget it
`orbitlab whoami`	Show the current user, organization and token
`orbitlab tokens ls`	List your API tokens
`orbitlab tokens rm`	Revoke an API token
`orbitlab orgs ls`	List your organizations
`orbitlab orgs switch`	Select the organization used by default
`orbitlab orgs inspect`	Show an organization
`orbitlab orgs rename`	Rename the active organization
`orbitlab members ls`	List members
`orbitlab members role`	Change a member’s role (owner only)
`orbitlab members rm`	Remove a member, or leave the organization
`orbitlab invitations ls`	List pending invitations
`orbitlab invitations create`	Invite someone
`orbitlab invitations rm`	Revoke an invitation
`orbitlab invitations accept`	Accept an invitation
`orbitlab services ls`	List services (apps, WordPress sites, VPS)
`orbitlab services inspect`	Show a service, its live URLs and latest deployment
`orbitlab services setup`	Connect a Git repository to a new app and deploy it
`orbitlab services rm`	Delete a service’s project (the subscription is kept)
`orbitlab services retry`	Retry provisioning a WordPress site stuck in pending
`orbitlab link`	Link the current directory to a service
`orbitlab unlink`	Remove the directory link
`orbitlab settings get`	Show build and Git settings
`orbitlab settings set`	Update build and Git settings
`orbitlab firewall get`	Show IP allow/block lists
`orbitlab firewall set`	Replace IP allow/block lists
`orbitlab deploy`	Deploy the production branch or a commit
`orbitlab deployments ls`	List deployments
`orbitlab deployments inspect`	Show a deployment
`orbitlab deployments logs`	Print a build log
`orbitlab deployments rm`	Delete a deployment
`orbitlab restart`	Restart the running container
`orbitlab env ls`	List environment variables
`orbitlab env set`	Add or update environment variables
`orbitlab env rm`	Delete environment variables
`orbitlab env pull`	Download environment variables to a .env file
`orbitlab env push`	Upload variables from a .env file
`orbitlab logs`	Show application logs
`orbitlab requests`	Show HTTP request logs
`orbitlab metrics`	Show CPU, memory, network and storage usage
`orbitlab domains ls`	List domains
`orbitlab domains inspect`	Show a domain
`orbitlab domains check`	Check whether a domain can be registered
`orbitlab domains search`	Suggest domains for a keyword
`orbitlab domains buy`	Register a domain
`orbitlab domains add`	Attach a custom domain to a service
`orbitlab domains verify`	Check DNS and activate a custom domain
`orbitlab domains remove`	Detach a custom domain
`orbitlab domains update`	Change auto-renew, transfer lock, WHOIS privacy or nameservers
`orbitlab domains auth-code`	Show the transfer (EPP) code
`orbitlab domains import`	Move a domain’s DNS hosting to OrbitLab
`orbitlab domains activate`	Finish a DNS import
`orbitlab dns ls`	List DNS records
`orbitlab dns add`	Create a DNS record
`orbitlab dns update`	Update a DNS record
`orbitlab dns rm`	Delete a DNS record
`orbitlab db ls`	List databases
`orbitlab db inspect`	Show a database and its credentials
`orbitlab db create`	Add a database to shared hosting
`orbitlab db rm`	Delete a database
`orbitlab db tables`	List tables
`orbitlab db rows`	Browse rows of a table
`orbitlab db query`	Run a SQL query
`orbitlab files ls`	List files
`orbitlab files get`	Download a file
`orbitlab files put`	Upload a file
`orbitlab files mkdir`	Create a directory
`orbitlab files sftp`	Show SFTP connection details
`orbitlab wp actions`	List managed WordPress actions
`orbitlab wp run`	Run a managed action
`orbitlab wp job`	Show an action job
`orbitlab wp reset-admin`	Reset the WordPress admin account
`orbitlab hostings ls`	List shared hosting subscriptions
`orbitlab hostings inspect`	Show a shared hosting and its websites
`orbitlab hostings add-website`	Create a website on a shared hosting
`orbitlab plans ls`	List plans and prices
`orbitlab templates ls`	List deployable templates
`orbitlab buy`	Order an app, shared hosting, VPS or domain
`orbitlab orders ls`	List orders
`orbitlab orders inspect`	Show an order
`orbitlab orders retry`	Retry a payment
`orbitlab orders provision`	Set up the hosting or VPS of a paid order
`orbitlab orders invoice`	Download an invoice
`orbitlab billing ls`	List subscriptions and renewal dates
`orbitlab billing renew`	Renew a service, hosting or domain
`orbitlab billing autopay`	Show or disable automatic renewal
`orbitlab billing providers`	List Mobile Money providers
`orbitlab promo validate`	Preview a promo code
`orbitlab git ls`	List GitHub App installations
`orbitlab git repos`	List repositories OrbitLab can deploy
`orbitlab git connect`	Install the GitHub App
`orbitlab git disconnect`	Uninstall the GitHub App
`orbitlab api`	Call any API endpoint

Getting started

Services

Domains & DNS

Advanced

Developers

API reference

Install

Log in

Choose an organization

Link a directory

Deploy from Git

Environment variables

Logs and metrics

Domains and DNS

Databases

Files and SFTP

WordPress

Shared hosting

Billing

Organization and access

Scripting and CI

Global options and environment variables

Command reference

​Install

​Log in

​Choose an organization

​Link a directory

​Deploy from Git

​Environment variables

​Logs and metrics

​Domains and DNS

​Databases

​Files and SFTP

​WordPress

​Shared hosting

​Billing

​Organization and access

​Scripting and CI

​Global options and environment variables

​Command reference

Install

Log in

Choose an organization

Link a directory

Deploy from Git

Environment variables

Logs and metrics

Domains and DNS

Databases

Files and SFTP

WordPress

Shared hosting

Billing

Organization and access

Scripting and CI

Global options and environment variables

Command reference