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DTAP: from development to production

8 steps± 6 minVideoVerified 28 Oct 2026
  1. Step 1 · Add a test environment
  2. Step 2 · Commit a version in Development
  3. Step 3 · Promote the version to Test
  4. Step 4 · And on to Acceptance
  5. Step 5 · Production is protected
  6. Step 6 · Promote to Production
  7. Step 7 · Look at the releases
  8. Step 8 · Roll back the Flow version of Test

Flow separates building from running. Only Development changes; Test, Acceptance and Production receive only committed versions, in a fixed order, with a trail of who promoted what and when. You add a test environment, move one version down the whole street, look at production's protection and the release history, and roll back the Flow version of an environment.

Watch the whole guide as a video8 steps in one film
Step 1 / 8

Add a test environment

You already have Development, Acceptance and Production. A separate Test sits in between: there you test technically (connections, volumes) without bothering the business. It is a Flow of its own with its own database, read-only like Acceptance. You add it below the environments, with ＋ Add environment.

  1. Click ＋ Add environment
Add a test environment · Click ＋ Add environment
  1. Click T
Add a test environment · Click T
  1. Click Add Test
Add a test environment · Click Add Test
Add a test environment · Four environments in a row: Development, Test, Acceptance, Production.
Step 2 / 8

Commit a version in Development

Promotion always uses a committed version: a snapshot of everything, with a sentence about what changed. What is not committed cannot end up anywhere else. Open Development; under Which items does this version deliver? you tick the work from the board that is in it (suggested: what is in progress or in review). The version then shows its delivered items, and every release takes them along to the next environment.

  1. Click Development
Commit a version in Development · Click Development
  1. Click Open ↗
Commit a version in Development · Click Open ↗
  1. Click Version control
Commit a version in Development · Click Version control
  1. Click Price list for the mechanics
Commit a version in Development · Click Price list for the mechanics
  1. In What did you change?, type Price list added
Commit a version in Development · In What did you change?, type Price list added
  1. Click Commit
Commit a version in Development · Click Commit
Commit a version in Development · The new version, with the work from the board under Delivered items.
Step 3 / 8

Promote the version to Test

Back in the portal, under Environments. Between two environments is an arrow with how many versions the next one is behind; the arrow promotes. The portal first asks what would change and shows it. Table data does not travel by default.

  1. Click Environments
Promote the version to Test · Click Environments
  1. Click → to Test
Promote the version to Test · Click → to Test
  1. Click Publish to Test
Promote the version to Test · Click Publish to Test
Promote the version to Test · Test now has the version.
Step 4 / 8

And on to Acceptance

Always the next step, never skipping: Acceptance gets exactly what was approved in Test. There the business tests and approves.

  1. Click → to Acceptance
And on to Acceptance · Click → to Acceptance
  1. Click Publish to Acceptance
And on to Acceptance · Click Publish to Acceptance
And on to Acceptance · Acceptance now has the version.
Step 5 / 8

Production is protected

Click Production and choose Danger zone: deletion protection is on by default. Nobody can throw this environment away, not even through the API. Switching it off requires a reason, which is recorded.

  1. Click Production
Production is protected · Click Production
  1. Click Danger zone Deletion protection on · restart
Production is protected · Click Danger zone Deletion protection on · restart
Production is protected · Deletion protection: On.
  1. Click Environments
Production is protected · Click Environments
Step 6 / 8

Promote to Production

Only an owner may take the last step, and the window is red: this touches the real users. Builders can promote up to Acceptance.

  1. Click → to Production
Promote to Production · Click → to Production
  1. Click Publish to Production
Promote to Production · Click Publish to Production
Promote to Production · Production now has the version.
Step 7 / 8

Look at the releases

Under Releases → History is every promotion: from where to where, which version, by whom, when, and what changed. That is the evidence for an audit, without anyone having to keep track.

  1. Click Releases
Look at the releases · Click Releases
  1. Click History Every publication: from where to where, by whom and when.
Look at the releases · Click History Every publication: from where to where, by whom and when.
Look at the releases · At the top: Acceptance → Production, with the version number and your name.
Step 8 / 8

Roll back the Flow version of Test

Apart from your versions, every environment runs a Flow version. Under Environments click Test, choose General and then Show versions, and choose an earlier one: the portal restarts Test with it and rolls back automatically if it does not come up healthy. Your data stays. That way you try an update on Test and Acceptance first, and production last.

  1. Click Environments
Roll back the Flow version of Test · Click Environments
  1. Click Test
Roll back the Flow version of Test · Click Test
  1. Click General de-wit-bikes-test.flow.localhost · Flow 0.7.32
Roll back the Flow version of Test · Click General de-wit-bikes-test.flow.localhost · Flow 0.7.32
  1. Click Show versions
Roll back the Flow version of Test · Click Show versions
  1. Click Back to 0.7.31
Roll back the Flow version of Test · Click Back to 0.7.31
Roll back the Flow version of Test · The earlier version now runs on Test.

This guide was carried out step by step on 28 Oct 2026 by an automated test on Flow (version 96971699).