Keelv0.86.0
Docs / Keel Cloud (deploy from MCP)

Keel Cloud hosts your Keel apps on *.keeljs.cloud — preview and production Workers, D1, secrets vault, and full export (git + SQL). You build in your IDE with an AI agent; the same keel-mcp binary that knows the framework also creates sites and deploys them when you set a Cloud token.

Host Role
app.keeljs.cloud Control plane (dashboard + /api/v1)
preview-{slug}.keeljs.cloud Preview Worker
{slug}.keeljs.cloud Production Worker
keeljs.com Framework docs (this site)

Private alpha: registration needs an invite code or allowlisted email. Free tier is limited (typically one site); Pro adds more sites and custom domains.

Prefer owning Cloudflare yourself? Use From install to deploy §4 (create-keeljs + wrangler deploy). Cloud and self-host are alternate paths — don’t mix them for the same app.

Why deploy from MCP

Agents already use keel-mcp for docs and scaffolding. With a token they also get keel_cloud_* tools against the control plane — no separate CLI, no copy-pasting wrangler credentials into the agent. The loop is:

create_site → edit storage_path → set_secret → preview → publish (confirm)

1. Sign up and mint a token

  1. Open app.keeljs.cloud and register (invite / allowlist during alpha).
  2. Go to /tokens → create a personal access token.
  3. Copy the plaintext once — it looks like keel_<selector>.<verifier>.

The token binds to your first team. Switch teams in the dashboard before minting if you need a different team context.

2. Wire keel-mcp for Cloud

Same server as local docs/API — add env so Cloud tools register:

Cursor / .mcp.json / Windsurf:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "keel": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "--package=@shaferllc/keel", "keel-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "KEEL_CLOUD_TOKEN": "keel_….…",
        "KEEL_CLOUD_URL": "https://app.keeljs.cloud"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code:

claude mcp add keel -e KEEL_CLOUD_TOKEN=keel_….… -e KEEL_CLOUD_URL=https://app.keeljs.cloud -- npx -y --package=@shaferllc/keel keel-mcp

Reload the MCP client. Stderr should say Cloud tools enabled. Call keel_overview — it lists the Cloud loop when a token is present.

Local-only (docs + scaffold, no deploy): omit the env vars. Building with AI covers that surface.

3. Deploy a site from the agent

Tell your agent something like: “Create an app preset site named Acme on Keel Cloud, then preview it.” Or drive the tools yourself:

Create

keel_cloud_create_site { "name": "Acme", "preset": "app" }

Presets: minimal | api | app | saas (same kits as create-keeljs).

Response includes storage_path (real Keel app on disk) and hostnames. Open that path in your IDE and edit like any Keel project.

Secrets (optional, before deploy)

keel_cloud_set_secret { "site_id": 1, "key": "STRIPE_SECRET_KEY", "value": "sk_…" }
keel_cloud_list_secrets { "site_id": 1 }    # keys only — values never returned

Secrets are vaulted (not in git) and injected on the next preview/publish.

Preview (safe to repeat)

keel_cloud_preview { "site_id": 1 }

Deploys the preview Worker → preview-{slug}.keeljs.cloud. Iterate freely.

Publish production (confirm required)

keel_cloud_publish { "site_id": 1, "confirm": true }

Agents must get your explicit approval before confirm: true. Production lands on {slug}.keeljs.cloud.

Check status

keel_cloud_get_site { "site_id": 1 }
keel_cloud_deploys { "site_id": 1 }       # logs + preview/production history
keel_cloud_me                             # plan, site_limit, team

Custom domain (Pro)

keel_cloud_set_custom_domain {
  "site_id": 1,
  "hostname": "app.example.com",
  "attach": true
}

Returns CNAME instructions (point at {slug}.keeljs.cloud). The customer zone must live on the same Cloudflare account as Keel Cloud. Clear with keel_cloud_clear_custom_domain.

Escape hatch

keel_cloud_export { "site_id": 1 }
keel_cloud_export_sql { "site_id": 1, "env": "production" }

Always yours: clone storage_path / git_url, restore the .sql dump on a self-hosted Keel app anytime.

Tool cheat sheet

Tool Deploy role
keel_cloud_create_site Scaffold kit under Cloud storage
keel_cloud_preview Deploy preview Worker
keel_cloud_publish Deploy production (confirm: true)
keel_cloud_set_secret / _list_secrets / _delete_secret Runtime env for Workers
keel_cloud_set_custom_domain / _clear_custom_domain Pro hostname
keel_cloud_deploys / _get_site Status and logs
keel_cloud_billing / _checkout / _portal Plan / upgrade (owner)
keel_cloud_export / _export_sql Leave with code + data
keel_cloud_delete_site / _restore_site Soft-delete / restore

Full API table and local-docs tools: Building with AI.

Dashboard parity

Everything above is also available in the browser at app.keeljs.cloud (/sites, /billing, /tokens). MCP is the agent-first path; the UI is the same control plane.

← PreviousFrom install to deployNext →Getting Started