---
title: "App Platform: How It Works | Hostman Docs"
description: "Find out what PaaS (Platform as a Service) is and how it works on Hostman. Learn how PaaS can simplify deployment and application management."
---

> For the complete documentation index for AI agents, see [llms.txt](https://hostman.com/llms.txt).

When you connect your GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket repository, Hostman does the following:

1.  **Sets up a cloud server** with all the necessary software, such as a web server, Docker service, and others. It also sets up all security and performance settings following best practices.
2.  **Pulls the code** from your GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket repository.
3.  **Installs all dependencies** stored in special files, such as `requirements.txt` for Python or `package.json` for Node.JS.
4.  **Builds the code** and checks whether it was built correctly. It also provides you with a build log, which you can easily check if anything goes wrong during the build process.
5.  **Launches a Docker container** for backend apps with the necessary environment and runs your application inside it. For a frontend app, Hostman does not launch a container and instead creates a directory on the server where your application will be stored.
6.  **Creates a Hostman subdomain** for your application. You can use this domain for testing purposes or for requests inside the app, if it works for you. For production we recommend [using your own domain](https://hostman.com/docs/app-platform/managing-apps/#linking-a-domain).
7.  **Configures Nginx** to proxy your domain to the application.
8.  **Installs a Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate** to make sure all the data is reliably protected. Hostman uses an SSL connection between all the services in its architecture.

When you push a new commit to your Git repository, the same cycle is repeated again: Hostman pulls the code, installs dependencies, builds the application, and so on. This includes launching a new Docker container, which will have no data from the previous container. This way we ensure a clean deployment.

Hostman will automatically deploy the changes if you leave the [autodeploy](https://hostman.com/docs/app-platform/managing-apps/#autodeploy) option enabled.