Let me explain the behavior of PREFECT_API_URL and why you're experiencing issues: 1. URL Resolution: - When you set

PREFECT_API_URL=/prefect/api

, it's treated as a relative path - The Prefect client will attempt to resolve this relative path against the base URL of wherever it's running - This can lead to inconsistent behavior because different components might resolve the URL differently 2. Why Your Setup Isn't Working: - When you change from

/prefect/api

to

<http://localhost:4200/prefect/api>

, you're switching from a relative to an absolute URL - The issue likely stems from how different components (server, workers, client) resolve and access this URL - Work pools and deployments not showing up suggests a communication breakdown between components 3. PREFECT_API_URL's Role: - It's not just about telling the container where the API is - It serves multiple purposes: - Tells Prefect clients (including workers) where to connect to the API - Influences how the server advertises itself to clients - Affects how various Prefect components communicate with each other 4. Best Practices: - Always use fully qualified URLs for

PREFECT_API_URL

in production - The URL should be accessible from all components that need to communicate with the Prefect server - For a local setup, use something like

<http://localhost:4200/prefect/api>

- For production, use the actual domain name and protocol, e.g.,

<https://your-domain.com/prefect/api>

5. Troubleshooting Steps: - Ensure the URL is accessible from both the server and any workers - Verify that all components (server, workers, client) are using the same URL configuration - Check that the URL resolves correctly from wherever your workers are running The reason your work pools and deployments aren't showing up is likely because the components can't properly communicate when using the relative URL. The absolute URL you're trying to use (`http://localhost:4200/prefect/api`) might not be accessible from all components in your setup. Make sure the URL you specify is accessible from all parts of your system that need to communicate with the Prefect server. Would you like me to help you troubleshoot your specific setup further? It would be helpful to know: 1. Where are your workers running in relation to the server? 2. Are you running everything locally or in a distributed environment? 3. Are you using any reverse proxies or container orchestration?