---
title: Application CDN Git Deployment
description: "Namazu Elements includes a git-push deployment pipeline for publishing an entire static site (a single-page app, a marketing page, downloadable assets, and so on) under an [Application](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/application/), independent of any single [Element](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/element/). You push a git repository, tell Elements which…"
url: "https://namazustudios.com/docs/namazu-elements-core/application-cdn-git-deployment/"
updated: "2026-09-23"
category: Namazu Elements Core Features
---

# Application CDN Git Deployment

Namazu Elements includes a git-push deployment pipeline for publishing an entire static site (a single-page app, a marketing page, downloadable assets, and so on) under an [Application](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/application/), independent of any single [Element](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/element/). You push a git repository, tell Elements which revision to publish, and it serves that revision's file tree over HTTP.

Note

This is a different system from [Element Static Content and Dashboard UI Plugins](element-static-content-and-dashboard-ui-plugins) (which serves files bundled inside a specific [Element](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/element/)'s `.elm` archive) and from the [Large Object API](large-object-api) (which stores individual files as first-class database records). All three happen to live under a `/cdn`-ish or `/app`-ish URL depending on the system, but they are separate storage mechanisms serving different use cases.

## How It Works

1. You push a git repository containing your static site to an [Application](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/application/)-scoped git endpoint over HTTP.
2. You call the Deployment [REST](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/rest/) API with the git commit SHA (the "revision") you want to publish.
3. Elements checks out that revision's file tree into local storage and atomically points a version symlink at it.
4. Requests to the serving endpoint for that [Application](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/application/) and version are answered from the checked-out tree.

## Pushing Content

Every [Application](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/application/) has its own git remote at `/cdn/git/{applicationName}.git`, backed by a standard git-over-HTTP smart transport and protected with HTTP Basic authentication. Point a normal git remote at it and push:

```
git remote add elements-cdn https://{username}:{password}@{host}/cdn/git/{applicationName}.git
git push elements-cdn main
```

Pushing content does not publish it by itself; it only makes that commit available for Elements to check out. Publishing happens in the next step.

## Publishing a Deployment

A **Deployment** ties a version label to a git revision for a given [Application](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/application/). Deployments are managed through the Deployment [REST](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/rest/) resource:

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `POST` | `/deployment/{applicationId}` | Creates a new Deployment for the [Application](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/application/) from a given `revision` (git commit SHA). |
| `PUT` | `/deployment/{applicationId}/{version}` | Updates an existing version to point at a new `revision`. |
| `GET` | `/deployment/{applicationId}` | Gets the [Application](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/application/)'s current Deployment. |
| `DELETE` | `/deployment/{applicationId}/{version}` | Removes a Deployment and its checked-out content. |

A Deployment record has an `id`, a `version`, the `revision` it was published from, and the owning `Application`. Creating or updating a Deployment (and deleting one) requires Superuser access. Unauthenticated callers may only read the current Deployment; they cannot create, update, or delete one.

## How Content Is Stored and Served

When a Deployment is created or updated, Elements clones the repository content at the given revision into a uniquely named directory, then atomically creates (or repoints) a symlink named after the version at the serving location:

```
{storage.directory}/{applicationName}/{clone.endpoint}/{uuid}/...           <- checked-out revision content
{storage.directory}/{applicationName}/{serve.endpoint}/{version} -> ...{uuid}   <- symlink used for serving
```

Deleting a Deployment removes both the symlink and the underlying checked-out directory tree. Published content is served publicly at:

```
/cdn/static/app/{applicationName}/{serve.endpoint}/{version}/{path...}
```

The serving endpoint resolves the [Application](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/application/) from the URL, refuses to serve any path that would resolve outside that [Application](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/application/)'s own content directory, and supports conditional requests (`ETag` / `If-None-Match`) with a configurable public cache lifetime.

## Configuration

| Attribute | Default | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `dev.getelements.elements.cdnserve.storage.directory` | `content` | Filesystem directory used to store checked-out and served content per [Application](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/application/). |
| `dev.getelements.elements.cdnserve.endpoint.clone` | `clone` | Subdirectory [name](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/name/) used for checked-out revision content. |
| `dev.getelements.elements.cdnserve.endpoint.serve` | `serve` | Subdirectory [name](https://namazustudios.com/glossary/name/) used for the version symlinks that are actually served. |
| `dev.getelements.elements.git.cdn.storage.directory` | `cdn-repos/git` | Filesystem directory used to store the bare git repositories pushed to `/cdn/git/*`. |
| `dev.getelements.elements.cdn.public.max.age` | `300` | Cache lifetime, in seconds, sent as `Cache-Control: public, max-age=...` for served content. Shared with the [Large Object API](large-object-api)'s serving endpoint. |