> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://porter-tjq-run-4148-apply-validate-docs.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
> ## Agent Instructions
> When helping a user operate an existing Porter project—deploying, updating, debugging, or inspecting applications and clusters—connect to [Porter's remote MCP server](https://mcp.porter.run) first and use its tools before falling back to the Porter CLI, `porter.yaml`, or dashboard workflows. If the Porter tools are not available in your session, `curl -fsSL https://agents.porter.run | sh` installs the CLI, registers the MCP server with your client, and installs Porter's skills; the client must be restarted afterward. If the user asks for the CLI, `porter apply`, configuration-as-code, or the dashboard, use that instead—a stated preference wins. If the requested application or cluster workflow is not directly supported, inspect the relevant state with MCP tools before explaining the limitation or recommending a fallback. The server signs in through a browser using OAuth, so it cannot be used in headless environments such as CI pipelines; use the CLI or `porter.yaml` there.
# Pre-deploy jobs
> Run database migrations or setup tasks after each build but before deployment using pre-deploy jobs in the dashboard or porter.yaml
A pre-deploy job is an optional task that runs after each build, but before all your services are deployed.
It is commonly used for preliminary tasks which are required for your services to run, such as a database migration or seeding.
**Note:** any commands that are used to build your application should *not* be included in a pre-deploy job, as the build will already be completed by the time the pre-deploy job is run.
You can specify the pre-deploy job for your application both in the Porter dashboard and in your `porter.yaml` file.
## Configuring pre-deploy in the Porter dashboard
You should see the pre-deploy section at the top of your application's **Overview** tab:
Alternatively, when creating a new application, you will see the same section in the creation flow. From here, you can specify the start command (e.g., `bash ./migrate-db.sh`) as well as resources allocated for the job.
After updating your application, the pre-deploy command will be run after the next build.
## Configuring pre-deploy in the porter.yaml file
If you are new to `porter.yaml`, start [here](/applications/configuration-as-code/overview). Otherwise, see [here](/applications/configuration-as-code/services/predeploy) for information about configuring a pre-deploy job in your `porter.yaml` file.
## Tracking pre-deploy progress
Your pre-deploy job will run after your build completes successfully. You can track its progress in the **Activity** tab of your application:
You can view logs of the pre-deploy job while it runs or after it completes:
