Headless Deployments
What this covers
Headless deployments let automation trigger deployments through the API instead of the ECP UI — there is no dedicated screen for this in ECP. Use this guide to understand how they work and where to track them.
How it works
Automation authenticates using an API key created from Profile → API Keys, then calls the deployment API using the same source/target/file rules that apply to a manual deployment in Deploy Config — an API-triggered deployment can't reach a tenant or file the key's owner couldn't reach manually.
There's nothing to configure in ECP itself for headless deployments — they're entirely driven by the calling system. This guide covers concepts only.
Tracking headless deployments
Every API-triggered deployment appears in the Activity Log and in Past Deployments alongside manual ones. The Actor column shows the API key used rather than a signed-in user, which is how you tell an automated run apart from one triggered through the UI.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Likely cause | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| API-triggered deployment fails immediately | The API key's owner lacks access to the source or target deployment pipeline. | Grant the key owner access to the required pipeline, or use a key belonging to a user who already has it. |
| Can't tell which deployments were automated | Looking at Past Deployments without checking the actor. | Check the Activity Log — the Actor column shows the API key name for automated runs. |