• WEB
  • WORKER
  • STATUS
  • HUMAN

How to scale application replicas with your AI

Connect Dokku to your agent to manage process counts through natural language. It handles the scaling commands while you focus on the logic.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I scale my Dokku apps using AI?

Your AI uses the ps_scale tool to adjust the number of web or worker processes for any app in your Dokku cluster. You just tell your agent how many replicas you need, and it executes the change immediately.

Where every action lands.

Scaling outcomes

The AI translates your intent into specific process adjustments.

WEB

Web process scaling

The AI adjusts the number of web dynos to handle incoming HTTP requests. You get a responsive frontend without manual CLI work.

WORKER

Worker process scaling

Your agent scales background workers to clear job queues. This keeps your asynchronous tasks moving during peak loads.

STATUS

Current state check

The AI looks at your existing process counts before making changes. You'll know exactly what's running before the scale command hits.

HUMAN

Manual overrides

You retain full control over the Dokku CLI. If the AI misinterprets a scaling request, you can always fix it yourself via terminal.

The workflow

What your AI does when scaling requests arrive.

The AI acts as a bridge between your chat interface and the Dokku command line.

  1. Analyze demand

    Your agent evaluates your request to see if you want to scale web processes or background workers.

    ps_scale

  2. Verify app state

    The AI checks the current configuration of your target application to ensure the scaling command is valid.

    ps_scale

  3. Execute scaling

    The agent sends the specific command to increase or decrease the replica count for the requested process type.

    ps_scale

  4. Confirm changes

    The AI reports back once the process count has been updated in Dokku.

    ps_scale

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to trigger scaling actions immediately.

Starting points

Replace the app names and process counts with your actual Dokku identifiers.

Dokku Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_4l81eUQDUiIsTQzod0jOLzrGv5gyZbaFCGJYUggR/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Dokku capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dokku-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_4l81eUQDUiIsTQzod0jOLzrGv5gyZbaFCGJYUggR/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Scale the web process for my 'api-server' app to 3 replicas.

  • Increase the worker count for 'background-jobs' to 5.

  • Scale down the web dynos on 'frontend-app' to 1.

  • How many workers are currently running on my 'data-processor' app?

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Dokku once, then ask.

You only need to link your Dokku instance once. After that, your agent can manage your processes through any compatible client.

Connect Dokku to your AI

FAQ

Scaling behavior

  • 01

    Can the AI create new applications?

    No. This MCP is specifically for scaling existing processes using the ps_scale tool.

  • 02

    Will the AI delete my apps?

    No. The AI does not have tools to delete or remove applications from your Dokku cluster.

  • 03

    Can I scale both web and worker processes at once?

    Yes. You can ask your agent to scale both types in a single request or separately.

  • 04

    Does the AI handle the underlying server infrastructure?

    No. The AI only manages the process counts within Dokku. You still manage the host machine yourself.

  • 05

    Can the AI see my environment variables?

    No. The scaling tools only interact with process counts, not application configuration or secrets.

  • More questions about Dokku? The Connector page answers them. See everything the Dokku Connector can do

Connect Dokku to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more