Setting target url with gcloud

Question

I have been using the Google App Engine Launcher's "Deploy" button. I realize that the Launcher is going away at the end of July 2020, so I'm trying to learn to use gcloud. My web site has a custom url, www.xxx.org, but "gcloud app deploy" uploads to xxx.appspot.com instead of to www.xxx.org, presumably because "target url" is set to xxx.appspot.com. Can someone please tell me what gcloud command I need to use to change "target url" to www.xxx.org, or some other scheme that would work? I've wandered through lots of gcloud and GAE documentation and web searches without being able to figure out what I need to do.

Answer 1

There is a very good and complete guide about mapping a custom domain to your application in the official documentation. As @DanCornilescu said,it needs to be configured, but it is not necessary to be done before deployment.

Basically, you need to follow the steps from the guide:

1) Verify that you are the owner of your domain through Webmaster Central

2)Ensure that your domain has been verified, otherwise you will not be able to proceed with the following steps. Note that only verified domains will be displayed.

3)If you need to delegate the ownership of your domain to other users or service accounts, you can add permission through the Webmaster Central page

4)After you verify ownership of your domain, you can map that domain to your App Engine app

5)Add the resource records that you receive to the DNS configuration of your domain registrar

6)Test for success by browsing to your app via its new domain URL, for example www.example.com

In case you need to do more complex mappings for different urls and subdomains you can always write down the routing rules in the dispatch.yaml file and they will be mapped successfully.

Also, to add a bit more of information about the dipatch.yaml file, it will handle the routing in the App as opposed with the app.yaml which will take care of the App's settings. Both .yamls can exist in the same application and can be deployed at the same time by using the following gcloud command: gcloud app deploy app.yaml dispatch.yaml

Answer 2

The deployment is always done to .appspot.com, the custom domain is automatically updated if it is already configured. If it is not then it needs to be configured (it can be done after the deployment as well).