---
title: "Set up a build or deployment environment"
url: "https://docs.alisx.com/how-to/alis-build/set-up-a-cloud-environment/"
---
# Set up a build or deployment environment

Create the Google Cloud footprint your services deploy into. This guide covers two levels: a new **build environment**, which lives inside your own Google Cloud organisation and holds products, and a new **deployment environment** inside a product, such as staging or production.

## Prerequisites

- An AlisX account with Build access. A new build environment needs a Google Cloud organisation, a Cloud Billing account you administer and a primary region.
- For a product deployment environment, administrator access to the product.

## Set up a new build environment

=== "Console"

    1. Open `https://console.alisx.com/build/init`. The **Build environment setup** page shows where your account stands.
    2. Choose to set up a new build environment. The **Set up a new build environment** page opens at `/build/init/extension`.
    3. Choose **Fill in a form** and fill in **Environment id** (for example `acme`), **Display name**, **Region** and **Billing account id**. **Work with the Init Agent** is the other way in: its Chrome extension guides you through the Google Cloud console and can create the billing account and organisation prerequisites with you.
    4. Choose **Create setup** and run the command it shows in Google Cloud Shell. **Follow its progress** opens the **Build environment initialisation** page at `/build/setups/<setup-id>`, which shows each module as it is provisioned and reports any failure.

=== "CLI"

    ```bash title="Terminal"
    alis org request --name "Acme Corp" --id acme --note "Storefront and internal tools"
    ```

    This opens a request conversation with the Alis Build team, who fulfil it through the standard setup flow and reply in the same conversation. An open request is returned instead of a duplicate.

When the build environment is active it appears under **Build environments**, and `alis org list` lists it.

## Join an existing build environment

If your account pays for a build environment you cannot open yet, or you are only a viewer:

```bash title="Terminal"
alis org join acme --reason "Joining the platform team"
```

Approval makes you a builder on every product in it.

## Add a deployment environment to a product

Every product starts with one development environment. Add more when you need them.

=== "CLI"

    ```bash title="Terminal"
    alis environment new acme.sh --display-name "Staging" --region europe-west1
    ```

    Add `--production` to mark the deployment environment as production; production environments are gated on deploy. Without `--region` the product's region is used. The new deployment environment's id is shown by `alis context view acme.sh`.

=== "Console"

    1. Open the product and go to **Services**.
    2. Choose **Add environment**.
    3. Choose **Production** as the **Environment type** if this is a production environment, enter the display name, pick the **Default region** and confirm.

## Rename a deployment environment

```bash title="Terminal"
alis environment rename acme.sh.<env-id> --display-name "Pre-production"
```

The id and cloud resources do not change and nothing is redeployed.

## Related

- [Deployment environments and versions](https://docs.alisx.com/explanation/environments-and-versions.md)
- [Manage environment variables](https://docs.alisx.com/how-to/alis-build/manage-environment-variables.md)
- [Promote to production](https://docs.alisx.com/how-to/alis-build/promote-to-production.md)