How to deploy applications using Radius

An Application in Radius groups the resources that make up an application and records the relationships between them. You define an Application and its resources in Bicep, then deploy the definition to a Radius Environment.

Step 1: Create an application definition

Create a file named app.bicep. Import the Radius extension and declare an environment parameter. The Radius CLI supplies the selected Environment’s resource ID when you deploy the file.

Define a Radius.Core/applications resource, then add the resources that make up the Application. Set environment and application on each resource to associate it with the Application:

extension radius

@description('The Radius Environment ID. Injected automatically by the rad CLI.')
param environment string

resource app 'Radius.Core/applications@2025-08-01-preview' = {
  name: 'my-app'
  properties: {
    environment: environment
  }
}

resource frontend 'Radius.Compute/containers@2025-08-01-preview' = {
  name: 'frontend'
  properties: {
    environment: environment
    application: app.id
    containers: {
      web: {
        image: 'ghcr.io/radius-project/samples/demo:latest'
        ports: {
          web: {
            containerPort: 3000
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Use any Resource Type installed in your Radius control plane. Review the Resource Types reference for the available properties and examples. The Environment’s Recipe Packs must contain a recipe for each Resource Type used by the Application.

Step 2: Deploy to an Environment

Deploy the application definition to an Environment with rad deploy:

rad deploy app.bicep

Radius compiles the Bicep file, supplies the Environment configured in the current Workspace through the environment parameter, and creates or updates the Application and its resources.

Use --environment to deploy to a different Environment:

rad deploy app.bicep --environment dev

After the deployment succeeds, inspect the Application graph:

rad application graph --application my-app --preview

The graph shows the Radius resources, infrastructure created by recipes, and relationships between resources.

Troubleshoot deployment errors

Start with the error returned by rad deploy. Errors generally occur in one of three stages:

• Bicep compilation: Correct Bicep syntax, resource type versions, property names, and parameter values. Use the Resource Types reference to verify the schema.
• Radius resource deployment: Confirm that the target Environment exists and that every resource sets the expected environment and application properties. Inspect the Application with rad application status and rad application graph.
• Recipe execution: Confirm that the Environment uses a Recipe Pack containing a recipe for the failing Resource Type. Review the recipe source, parameters, cloud provider configuration, and credentials.

Use JSON output when you need the complete resource details:

rad application status my-app --preview --output json
rad application graph --application my-app --preview --output json

If a recipe creates Kubernetes resources, inspect the target namespace for failed workloads and events:

kubectl get pods --namespace <namespace>
kubectl get events --namespace <namespace> --sort-by=.lastTimestamp

The Kubernetes namespace is configured on the Environment and may differ from the Environment name. See How to design and manage Environments to inspect Environment configuration.

Prune removed resources

Removing a resource declaration from app.bicep and deploying the file again does not delete the existing resource. This prevents an accidental deletion when a declaration is removed or renamed.

After removing the declaration, deploy the updated Application:

rad deploy app.bicep

List the resources that still belong to the Application:

rad resource list --application my-app

Delete the removed resource by its Resource Type and name. For example, delete the frontend Container:

rad resource delete Radius.Compute/containers frontend

The command prompts for confirmation, deletes the Radius resource, and runs its normal deletion lifecycle for infrastructure managed by that resource.

Review the resource before confirming deletion. Deleting a database, message broker, or other stateful resource can permanently delete its managed infrastructure and data.

Confirm that the removed resource no longer appears in the Application graph:

rad application graph --application my-app --preview

Delete an Application

Delete an Application when it and all of its owned resources are no longer needed:

rad application delete my-app --preview

The command prompts for confirmation. Radius finds resources whose application property references my-app, deletes them, and then deletes the Application resource. Resources that are shared with or connected to the Application but are not owned by it are not deleted.

Deleting an Application can permanently delete managed infrastructure and data. Review the Application graph before confirming the operation. Use --yes to bypass confirmation in automation.

Use --force only when the Application contains resources stuck in a non-terminal state. Force deletion can leave external infrastructure behind for manual cleanup.