# Craft CMS production settings

Source: https://docs.fortrabbit.com/guides/craft-cms/production-settings
Published: 2026-10-23
Updated: 2026-10-23
Reviewed: 2026-10-23

> Craft CMS production settings on fortrabbit: dev mode, updates and admin changes are off, plus the control panel URL and safe CLI commands.


## Dev mode

`CRAFT_DEV_MODE=false` hides error details from visitors. To see them while debugging, set it to `true` on an environment that is not public, and back to `false` afterwards. See [what dev mode does](https://craftcms.com/knowledge-base/what-dev-mode-does).

} / {{app-env-name}}" path="/environments/{{app-env-id}}/env-vars"}

## Updates

`CRAFT_ALLOW_UPDATES=false` removes updates from the control panel. An update on the environment would change files that git does not track, and the next deployment would undo it. Update locally and deploy, see [updating Craft CMS](/guides/craft-cms/updating).

## Admin changes

`CRAFT_ALLOW_ADMIN_CHANGES=false` blocks changes to sections, fields and settings on fortrabbit. These changes live in the project config, and the next deployment applies the project config from the repository over them. Editors still create and edit content. See [allowAdminChanges](https://craftcms.com/docs/5.x/reference/config/general.html#allowadminchanges).

## Control panel URL

The control panel answers on `/admin` by default. Change it with the `cpTrigger` setting in `config/general.php`:



```php
return [
  'cpTrigger' => 'backend',
];
```

## Craft CLI on fortrabbit

Run Craft commands over [SSH](/platform/code-access/ssh) with `php craft`. Not every command belongs on a production environment:

| Command | On fortrabbit |
| -- | -- |
| `setup/*` | Never, local only |
| `update/*` | Never, update locally |
| `migrate/all`, `project-config/apply`, `up` | Only when the post-deploy commands do not run them |
| `clear-caches/*` | Runs with every deployment; manually only with a reason |
| `resave/*` | When a migration or plugin asks for it |
| `db/backup`, `db/restore` | Possible, the dump slows the site down while it runs |