> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stackshift.cloud/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Deploy a Compose stack

> Bring a Compose-defined workload to StackShift with domains, placement, and persistent volumes.

<Tip>
  **Live.** This area is documented as current, user-reliable behavior.
</Tip>

## Goal

Get a multi-container workload running as a StackShift stack.

## Prerequisites

* A healthy node
* A valid Compose definition
* Any required env vars, domains, and node tags

## Workflow

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Create a stack and provide the Compose definition.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Review parsed services, volumes, domains, and placement settings.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Apply the stack and monitor deployment status and service health.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Providing the Compose definition

StackShift parses your Compose definition into services, named volumes, ports, and the environment variables and domains you attach. Persistent data lives in named volumes, which are also what backups and restores operate on later.

## Choosing placement

Placement decides which node the stack runs on. Pick the mode that matches how much control you want.

* least\_loaded: StackShift auto-places the stack on the least-loaded healthy node.
* manual: you pin the stack to a specific target node.
* Node selector tags: restrict the candidate nodes to those carrying the tags you specify, in either mode.

## Deploy and watch it come up

* Applying the stack starts a deployment; the stack detail page shows runtime status and per-service health.
* Use Stop to halt a stack without deleting it, and Deploy again to bring it back.
* Attach domains and per-service environment variables as part of the stack rather than editing containers by hand.

## Expected result

<Check>
  The Compose workload is running as a managed stack in StackShift.
</Check>

## Related guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Stack logs, health, and placement" href="/stacks/logs-health-and-placement">
    Use the stack detail, logs, and placement information to understand how the stack is actually running.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Back up and restore a stack" href="/stacks/back-up-and-restore-a-stack">
    Use S3-backed named-volume archives to protect and recover stateful stack data.
  </Card>

  <Card title="What templates are" href="/templates/what-templates-are">
    Templates are versioned service blueprints that render into stacks with saved inputs and provenance.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>