Glossary

This glossary explains the terms used across Devpilot. Entries are listed alphabetically. If you come across a term that isn't here, let us know.

A

Access Token

A long-lived credential used to authenticate programmatic access to a workspace. Access tokens begin with the prefix workspace_token_ and should be treated like passwords. See also: API Key.

Activity Log

A chronological record of actions performed inside a workspace, such as deployments, role changes, and credential updates. Activity logs help you audit who did what and when.

Admin (Workspace Role)

The second-highest workspace role. Admins can manage most workspace settings, invite and remove members, and administer projects, apps, and servers, but cannot delete the workspace or transfer ownership.

admin (Resource Role)

The highest resource-level role, granted on a specific project, app, or server. A resource admin has full control over that resource, including managing its collaborators.

API Key

A credential used to call the Devpilot API. API keys begin with the prefix dp_. Keys are scoped to a workspace and can be revoked at any time.

App

A deployable unit inside a project. An app is attached to a server and a platform (for example Laravel or React Js) and has its own deployment history, environment variables, and hooks.

App Store

A catalogue of installable server components you can add to your servers. Apps are grouped into six categories: web-server, database, cache, runtime, security, and utility.

Artifact

The built output of a deployment — the code, compiled assets, and configuration that get released to your server. Artifacts are tied to a specific deployment so you can trace what ran where.

B

Backup

A point-in-time copy of data from a server or database. Backups can run on a schedule or be triggered manually, and are stored at a backup destination of your choice.

Backup Destination

Where a backup is stored. Supported destinations are S3, Azure Blob, GCS, Google Drive, SFTP, Local, and Cloudinary. Each destination holds its own credentials.

Backup Schedule

The cadence at which backups run. Devpilot supports two schedule modes: interval (run every N minutes or hours) and realtime (continuous capture).

Backup Codes

A set of 10 one-time-use codes generated when you enable two-factor authentication. Store them somewhere safe — each one lets you sign in if you lose access to your authenticator app.

C

Collaborator

A resource-level role granted on a project, app, or server. Collaborators can work on the resource (for example trigger deployments) but cannot change its settings or invite others.

D

Deployment

A single run of the pipeline that releases code to a server. Each deployment progresses through statuses and either becomes live or fails.

Deployment Diagnosis

An automatic analysis Devpilot performs on a failed deployment. The diagnosis assigns a diagnosis category and often includes a suggested fix.

Deployment Hook

See Hook.

Deployment Status

The current state of a deployment. Devpilot uses five statuses: Pending, Processing, Completed, Failed, and Cancelled. A separate is_live flag indicates whether the deployment is the one currently serving traffic.

Diagnosis Category

The type of failure identified by Deployment Diagnosis. There are five categories: dependency_failure, runtime_error, git_failure, database_connection, and configuration_error.

E

Environment Variable

A key-value pair passed to your app at runtime — for example, database URLs, API secrets, or feature flags. Environment variables are stored per app and can be updated without redeploying.

F

Failure Pattern

A recurring deployment failure that Devpilot has seen before. Each pattern tracks an occurrence count and a suggested fix, so repeated problems are easier to resolve.

H

Hook

A custom step you add to the deployment pipeline. A hook runs at a specific hook stage and performs one of three action types: shell_command, sync_file, or sync_directory.

Hook Message

A log entry produced by a hook while it runs. Each hook message has a status: Pending, Processing, Successful, Failed, or Skipped.

Hook Stage

The point in the deployment pipeline at which a hook runs. There are five selectable stages: pre_execution, pre_source_control, post_source_control, post_setup, and post_release.

I

Integration

A connection between Devpilot and an external service. Integrations cover source control (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) and cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP, DigitalOcean, Vultr, with Hetzner, Linode, and MTN Cloud coming soon).

M

Member (Workspace Role)

The baseline workspace role. Members can see the workspace and be granted access to specific resources, but cannot change workspace-wide settings.

MySQL

The database engine Devpilot currently supports for managed database features such as backups.

N

Notification Channel

A destination for Devpilot notifications — for example email, Slack, or a webhook. Channels have a scope (deployment or script) and a notify-on mode (always, failure, or never).

O

Owner (Workspace Role)

The highest workspace role. The Owner has full control over the workspace, including billing, ownership transfer, and deletion. Every workspace has exactly one Owner.

P

Pipeline Template

A reusable definition of the steps that run during a deployment, tailored to a specific platform. Templates give each platform sensible defaults that you can extend with hooks.

Plan

A Devpilot subscription tier. There are three plans: Free, Basic ($10/month), and Professional ($20/month). All plans are billed monthly.

Platform

The application framework or runtime your app targets. Devpilot supports six platforms: Laravel, Vanilla PHP, Vanilla Javascript, Nuxt Js, React Js, and Vue Js.

Project

A group of related apps inside a workspace. Projects are useful for separating environments (for example staging vs production) or grouping apps that share collaborators and settings.

Provider

A cloud service Devpilot can provision servers on. Active providers: AWS, Azure, GCP, DigitalOcean, Vultr. Coming soon: Hetzner. Planned: Linode, MTN Cloud.

Provisioning

The process of creating a new server on a provider directly from Devpilot. Provisioning uses your provider integration credentials to create the VM, then installs the server agent automatically.

Q

Quota Alert

A notification triggered when a workspace approaches or exceeds its plan limits. Quota alerts apply to resource types Projects and Apps, and are raised at three levels: warning, critical, and exceeded.

R

Role

A set of permissions. Devpilot uses two kinds of roles: workspace roles (Owner, Admin, Member) for workspace-wide permissions, and resource roles (admin, collaborator, viewer, none) for access to individual projects, apps, or servers.

Rollback

Restoring a previous deployment as the live release. Rollbacks move through four states: recommended (suggested by Devpilot), executing, completed, or dismissed.

Runtime

A language runtime — such as a specific version of PHP or Node.js — installed on your server. Runtimes are one of the six App Store categories.

S

Server

A machine that runs your apps. Servers belong to a workspace, are either provisioned by Devpilot or connected manually, and host one or more apps.

Server Agent

The lightweight program Devpilot installs on each server to run deployments, collect metrics, and execute scripts. The agent communicates securely with Devpilot and requires no ongoing maintenance.

Server Script

A script that runs on a server, either on a schedule or when a script trigger fires. Scripts are useful for maintenance tasks, custom health checks, or recovery actions.

Script Trigger

A rule that runs a server script automatically when a metric crosses a threshold. Each trigger defines a metric, an operator, and a threshold value.

Source Control

The platform that hosts your code repository. Devpilot integrates with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.

Subscription

Your active billing arrangement with Devpilot. A subscription ties a workspace to a plan and a payment method. Cards are saved via Stripe; one-off payments can also be made through PayPal or Flutterwave.

T

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

A required second step when signing in. Devpilot supports Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator, and issues 10 backup codes when you enrol. 2FA is mandatory for all accounts.

U

User

An individual account that can belong to one or more workspaces. Your user profile holds your name, email, 2FA settings, and personal preferences.

V

viewer (Resource Role)

A read-only resource-level role. Viewers can see a project, app, or server and its activity but cannot make changes.

W

Webhook

An HTTP endpoint Devpilot calls when something happens — for example when a deployment completes or a script fails. Webhooks are configured as notification channels.

Workspace

The top-level container in Devpilot. A workspace holds projects, apps, servers, integrations, credentials, and billing. Users join workspaces and are assigned a workspace role.

Workspace Role

The role a user holds within a workspace. Devpilot defines three workspace roles: Owner, Admin, and Member. Workspace roles set baseline access; resource roles refine access on individual projects, apps, and servers.