---
title: "Projects deployed using a zip file via API now support branch deploys"
description: "Create branch deploys for ZIP-based sites using the branch parameter in the Netlify API builds endpoint."
source: "https://www.netlify.com/changelog/2025-11-21-deploy-with-zip-file-supports-branch-deploys/"
last_updated: "2026-07-04T23:31:33.000Z"
---
When you deploy a project using a ZIP file and the Netlify API, you can now also create branch deploys using the new `branch` parameter.

While it was always possible to pass a `branch` parameter to the `https://api.netlify.com/api/v1/sites/{site_id}/builds` endpoint, it previously had no effect for deploys made programmatically using the API. Now, when creating a ZIP-based deploy via the API, including the `branch` parameter will properly create a branch deploy instead of a production deploy.

This means teams using ZIP-based workflows through our API can now take full advantage of Netlify’s branch deploy features like preview URLs, and isolated testing environments for different branches.

To create a branch deploy for a ZIP-based site, simply include the `branch` parameter in your API request:

```
curl -X POST \  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \  -F "zip=@your-site.zip" \  -F "branch=feature-branch" \  https://api.netlify.com/api/v1/sites/{site_id}/builds
```

Learn more about the [Netlify API builds endpoint](https://open-api.netlify.com/#tag/build/operation/createSiteBuild) in the documentation.