Branch preview deployments in Orbit

Branch previews automatically deploy every pull request or feature branch to a unique URL. Review changes in a real environment before merging to production.

Enabling branch previews

1. Open your project in Orbit
2. Click Settings in the project header
3. Find the Branch Previews checkbox and enable it
4. Click Save changes

Once enabled, every pull request opened against your production branch triggers an automatic build and deployment to a unique preview URL.

How previews appear

On your project's Overview tab, the Preview deployments section lists all active previews:

• PR #[number] badge, links to the pull request
• Status (Building, Queued, or Live)
• The branch name
• How long ago it was deployed
• A live URL to view the preview
• View logs → to see the build log
• A delete button to remove the preview

Each preview is isolated, it gets its own URL and environment, independent of production.

Preview URLs

Preview deployments get a unique URL based on the branch name and project slug. These URLs are publicly accessible by default.

Build logs for previews

Click View logs → next to any preview to open the deployment detail page. The build log, status, commit details, and all metadata are available just like for production deployments.

Deleting a preview

Click the delete button next to a preview to shut it down and remove it from the list. This frees up build resources.

Automatic cleanup

Preview deployments for closed or merged pull requests are automatically cleaned up on a schedule. You don't need to manually delete them when a PR merges.

Deploy approval for previews

If you have Require approval for production enabled in Settings, preview deployments require approval before going live, the same as production. This is useful for security-sensitive projects.

When branch previews aren't appropriate

Branch previews are not available for projects on the free tier. Check your plan limits at Orbit → See Plans to see if previews are included.