leo deploy

Deploy Leo programs to the Aleo network with on-chain verification

The leo deploy command deploys Leo programs and their dependencies to the Aleo network, making them publicly available for execution.

Syntax

leo deploy [OPTIONS]

Options

Network Options

--network · string · required

Network type: mainnet, testnet, or canary.

--endpoint · string · required

Network endpoint URL:

• Mainnet: https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1
• Testnet: https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1
• Devnet: http://localhost:3030

--private-key · string · required

Private key to sign deployment transactions.

Never deploy to mainnet with test private keys. Secure your private keys.

--devnet · boolean · default: false

Whether the network is a devnet.

--consensus-heights · string

Custom consensus heights (comma-separated) for custom devnets.

Fee Options

--priority-fees · string

Priority fees in microcredits for each deployment, delimited by |.

Example: 1000|2000|default

--fee-records · string

Records to pay fees privately, delimited by |. Use default for public fees.

Transaction Actions

--broadcast · boolean · default: false

Broadcast deployment transactions to the network.

--print · boolean · default: false

Print deployment transactions as JSON to stdout.

--save · string

Save deployment transactions to the specified directory.

Deployment Options

--skip · string[]

Skip deployment of programs containing these substrings (comma-separated).

Example: --skip test,old

--skip-deploy-certificate · boolean · default: false

Use placeholder certificate and verifying keys during deployment.

Only use for testing. Deployments with placeholder certificates are not secure.

Additional Options

-y, --yes · boolean · default: false

Skip confirmation prompts.

--consensus-version · number

Consensus version to use (1-13). Auto-detected if not provided.

--max-wait · number · default: 8

Seconds to wait for block confirmation.

--blocks-to-check · number · default: 12

Number of blocks to check for transaction confirmation.

Build Options

--no-cache · boolean · default: true

Don’t use the dependency cache. Always enabled for deploy.

--no-local · boolean · default: false

Use network versions of dependencies.

Examples

Deploy to Testnet

leo deploy \
  --broadcast \
  --private-key APrivateKey1zkp... \
  --network testnet \
  --endpoint https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1

Output:

🚀 Deployment Plan
──────────────────────────────────────────────
📦 Programs to Deploy (in order):
  1. my_lib.aleo
     • Status: Not on network
     • Size: 1.5 KB
     • Fee: ~5,234,567 μcredits

  2. hello_world.aleo
     • Status: Not on network  
     • Size: 2.3 KB
     • Fee: ~8,123,456 μcredits

💰 Total Estimated Cost: 13,358,023 μcredits (~0.013 credits)
──────────────────────────────────────────────

Do you want to proceed with deployment? [y/N]: y

📤 Deploying my_lib.aleo...
✅ Deployment confirmed!
   Transaction ID: at1abc...

📤 Deploying hello_world.aleo...
✅ Deployment confirmed!
   Transaction ID: at1def...

🎉 All programs deployed successfully!

Deploy with Priority Fee

leo deploy \
  --broadcast \
  --priority-fees 10000 \
  --private-key APrivateKey1zkp...

Priority fees help ensure faster deployment by incentivizing validators.

Deploy and Save Transactions

leo deploy \
  --save ./deployments \
  --private-key APrivateKey1zkp...

Saves deployment transactions to:

deployments/
├── my_lib.aleo.deployment.json
└── hello_world.aleo.deployment.json

Deploy and Print

leo deploy --print --private-key APrivateKey1zkp...

Prints deployment transactions as JSON without broadcasting.

Deploy Specific Program

leo deploy \
  --skip my_lib \
  --broadcast \
  --private-key APrivateKey1zkp...

Skips my_lib.aleo and deploys only hello_world.aleo.

Deploy to Devnet

leo deploy \
  --broadcast \
  --devnet \
  --network testnet \
  --endpoint http://localhost:3030 \
  --private-key APrivateKey1zkp8CZNn3yeCseEtxuVPbDCwSyhGW6yZKUYKfgXmcpoGPWH

Deploy Without Confirmation

leo deploy \
  --broadcast \
  --yes \
  --private-key APrivateKey1zkp...

Use --yes with caution. It skips all confirmation prompts including fee confirmations.

Deployment Flow

1. Build Phase:

   • Compiles program and dependencies with --no-cache
   • Generates bytecode and certificates

2. Plan Generation:

   • Determines deployment order (dependencies first)
   • Checks which programs already exist on network
   • Calculates deployment costs

3. Cost Estimation:

   • Storage cost (proportional to program size)
   • Finalize cost (computational cost)
   • Priority fee (optional)

4. User Confirmation:

   • Displays deployment plan
   • Shows total estimated cost
   • Prompts for confirmation (unless --yes)

5. Deployment Execution:

   • For each program in order:
     • Generates deployment transaction
     • Authorizes fee (public or private)
     • Broadcasts transaction (if --broadcast)
     • Waits for confirmation

6. Verification:

   • Confirms program exists on network
   • Verifies program matches local bytecode

Deployment Order

Programs are deployed in dependency order:

Dependencies → Dependents

Example:

my_lib.aleo     (no dependencies)
  ↓
helper.aleo     (depends on my_lib)
  ↓  
app.aleo        (depends on helper)

Deployment order: my_lib → helper → app

Cost Calculation

Deployment costs consist of:

Storage Cost

Based on program size:

Storage Cost = size_in_bytes * storage_rate

Finalize Cost

Based on deployment complexity:

Finalize Cost = base_cost + (num_imports * import_cost)

Priority Fee

Optional user-specified fee:

Priority Fee = user_specified_amount

Total Cost

Total = Storage Cost + Finalize Cost + Priority Fee

Costs are displayed in microcredits (μcredits). 1 credit = 1,000,000 microcredits.

Deployment Status

For each program, Leo checks network status:

Not on Network

• Status: Not on network

Program will be deployed.

Already Deployed (Matching)

• Status: On network (matches local)

Deployment skipped.

Already Deployed (Different)

⚠️ Status: On network (DOES NOT match local)

Deployment will fail. Update your program version or use a different name.

Transaction Format

Deployment transactions are saved as JSON:

{
  "type": "deploy",
  "id": "at1...",
  "owner": {
    "address": "aleo1...",
    "signature": "sign1..."
  },
  "deployment": {
    "edition": 0,
    "program": "program hello_world.aleo;\n...",
    "verifying_keys": [...],
    "certificate": "..."
  },
  "fee": {
    "transition": {...},
    "global_state_root": "sr1...",
    "proof": "..."
  }
}

Program Editions

Each deployment has an edition number:

• Edition 0: Initial deployment
• Edition 1+: Updates (if supported by network)

Most networks do not support program updates. Deploy with caution.

Verifying Keys and Certificates

Deployments include:

Verifying Keys

Cryptographic keys to verify program execution proofs.

Certificate

Proof that verifying keys were generated correctly.

Use --skip-deploy-certificate only for testing. Placeholder certificates are not secure.

Deployment Strategies

Development

# Deploy to local devnet
leo deploy \
  --broadcast \
  --devnet \
  --endpoint http://localhost:3030 \
  --private-key <TEST_KEY>

Staging

# Deploy to testnet
leo deploy \
  --broadcast \
  --network testnet \
  --endpoint https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1 \
  --private-key <TESTNET_KEY>

Production

# Deploy to mainnet
leo deploy \
  --broadcast \
  --network mainnet \
  --endpoint https://api.explorer.provable.com/v1 \
  --private-key <MAINNET_KEY> \
  --priority-fees 10000

Monitoring Deployments

Leo monitors deployment confirmation:

📤 Deploying hello_world.aleo...

Transaction ID: at1abc...
Fee ID: fi1def...

Waiting for confirmation...
✅ Deployment confirmed!

If deployment fails to confirm:

❌ Deployment not confirmed within 12 blocks.
    Transaction may still be pending.
    Check transaction ID: at1abc...

Troubleshooting

Program Already Exists

Program 'hello_world.aleo' already exists on the network.

Options:

1. Use a different program name
2. Deploy to a different network
3. Wait for program update support (if applicable)

Insufficient Balance

Insufficient balance to pay deployment fee.

Ensure your account has enough credits:

leo query program credits.aleo/account/<your_address>/balance

Dependency Not Deployed

Dependency 'my_lib.aleo' is not deployed on the network.

Deploy dependencies first or include them in the deployment.

Network Unreachable

Failed to connect to network endpoint.

Check:

1. Endpoint URL is correct
2. Network is running
3. Firewall allows connections

Best Practices

1. Test Locally: Deploy to devnet before testnet/mainnet
2. Verify Dependencies: Ensure all dependencies are deployed
3. Review Costs: Check estimated costs before confirming
4. Save Transactions: Use --save for record-keeping
5. Monitor Confirmation: Wait for confirmation before assuming success
6. Use Priority Fees: For time-sensitive deployments
7. Backup Keys: Secure your private keys
8. Version Control: Tag deployments in version control

Next Steps

• Execute deployed programs
• Query program data
• Update dependencies