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Run One-Off Commands

One-off commands let you execute arbitrary commands inside your application's container without deploying. They run with the same code, environment variables, and dependencies as your application.

Running a Command​

  1. Go to your application in the dashboard
  2. Navigate to Application Settings > Run Command
  3. Enter the command you want to execute
  4. Click Run

The command output is displayed in the dashboard as it runs.

Common Use Cases​

Django Management Commands​

python manage.py createsuperuser
python manage.py collectstatic --noinput
python manage.py shell

Database Migrations​

python manage.py migrate
rails db:migrate
npx prisma migrate deploy

Debugging​

python -c "import django; print(django.VERSION)"
node -e "console.log(process.env.DATABASE_URL)"
cat /etc/os-release

Data Tasks​

python manage.py loaddata fixtures/initial.json
python manage.py clear_cache

How It Works​

One-off commands run in a new container instance that is created from the same Docker image as your deployed application. The container:

  • Has the same environment variables as your running processes
  • Has the same code and installed dependencies
  • Has access to the same volumes (if any are attached)
  • Is removed after the command completes

Cluster Mode​

In cluster mode, one-off commands are executed from the leader node of your Docker Swarm cluster. The command runs in a container on that node, not distributed across the cluster.

Notes​

  • Long-running commands may time out. For recurring tasks, use cron jobs instead.
  • One-off commands do not trigger a deployment or restart your running processes.
  • The command runs with the image from your most recent successful deployment.