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A cloud template is a fully-configured, on-demand development environment that lives in the cloud. Cloud templates give you the same tools and dependencies you’d expect locally, so you can build, test, and run code directly from Factory.
To get the most out of cloud templates, configure environment variables and a setup script during template creation. The setup script installs dependencies and prepares your development environment automatically, ensuring every team member has an identical setup.

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System Requirements

  • A repository enabled in Factory
  • Manager role or higher to create cloud templates
1

Open Cloud Templates Settings

  1. In Factory, click the Settings icon from the left sidebar.
  2. Select Cloud Templates.
2

Create a New Cloud Template

  1. Click Create Template.
  2. Enter the repository you want to use.
  3. Give your template a friendly name (e.g., “frontend-template”).
  4. (Optional) Configure a setup script to run during template initialization.
  5. Click Create.
Factory clones your repo and prepares the environment—this can take a minute for large projects.
3

Verify Template Ready

The new template appears in the list with a status indicator. Once it shows Ready, you can use it from any session.

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Launching a Cloud Template inside a Session

1

Open or Start a Session

Join any Factory session as usual.
2

Connect to Cloud Machine

  1. On the session start page, click the Machine Connection button.
  2. Choose Remote tab.
  3. Select the template you created earlier.
  4. Factory attaches the cloud template to your session.
machine-connection-start.gif
3

Confirm Connection

A green indicator and remote working directory appear on the top-right next to your profile dropdown menu. You’re now interacting with the cloud template.

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Everyday Usage

Run CLI Commands

Use the Terminal toolkit to execute commands like: 
npm run dev
pytest
git status
Output streams live into chat and logs.

Edit & Save Files

Open files from the repo, make changes, and save.
Files persist in the cloud template and can be committed upstream when ready.

Auto-Save Controls

Auto-save is disabled by default—enable it from the Session Settings panel whenever you want live file syncing.

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Troubleshooting & Help

Ensure you:
  1. Selected Remote Machine (not Local).
  2. Refresh the page, or try again in a different session

Need More Help?

Visit the full Cloud Template Troubleshooting Guide