The prefect transfer command enables you to migrate resources between different Prefect environments, whether moving from development to production, from self-hosted to cloud, or between cloud workspaces. The command accepts a --from and --to profile, and transfers all resources from the source to the destination.
The transfer command is available in Prefect 3.4.14 and later.

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Quick start

Transfer all resources from a development environment to production: 
prefect transfer --from local --to cloud
The command will:
  1. Discover all resources in the source profile
  2. Transfer resources to the destination profile
  3. Report success, failures, and skipped resources

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What gets transferred

The transfer command moves the following resources: Resources are transferred in the correct order to preserve relationships between them.

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Common transfer scenarios

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Development to production

Transfer resources between different environments: 
prefect transfer --from dev-profile --to prod-profile

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Self-hosted to cloud migration

Move from a self-hosted Prefect server to Prefect Cloud: 
prefect transfer --from self-hosted-profile --to cloud-profile
When transferring to Prefect Cloud Hobby tier workspaces, certain resource types may be skipped due to tier limitations.

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Workspace consolidation

Resources can be transferred between multiple workspaces. Resources that already exist in the destination will be skipped.

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Resource handling

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Work pools

The transfer command handles different work pool types according to the destination:
  • Hybrid pools (process, docker, kubernetes): Transfer to any destination (except Prefect Cloud Hobby tier workspaces)
  • Push pools: Transfer only to Prefect Cloud destinations (except Prefect Cloud Hobby tier workspaces)
  • Managed pools: Never transferred

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Existing resources

Resources that already exist in the destination are skipped you can run it multiple times safely. 
# First run
prefect transfer --from dev --to prod
# Output: 25 succeeded, 0 skipped

# Second run (idempotent)
prefect transfer --from dev --to prod
# Output: 0 succeeded, 25 skipped

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Resource limits

When transferring to Prefect Cloud workspaces, certain resources may be skipped based on tier limitations. The transfer command will provide clear messages explaining why resources were skipped.

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Limitations

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Resources not transferred

Certain resources are not transferred between environments:
  • Flow run history and logs
  • Result artifacts and cached data
  • Cloud-specific infrastructure resources
  • Credentials and secrets (must be recreated in the destination)

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Environment-specific configuration

Some resources may require manual configuration after transfer to work correctly in the new environment, particularly those that reference external systems or credentials.

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Best practices

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Pre-transfer checklist

  1. Verify profiles: Ensure both source and destination profiles are correctly configured 
    prefect profile inspect source-profile
prefect profile inspect dest-profile
  2. Test connectivity: Confirm you can connect to both environments 
    prefect --profile source-profile config view
prefect --profile dest-profile config view
  3. Check tier limitations: Understand destination workspace capabilities
    • Hobby tier: Managed pools only, 5 deployment limit
    • Standard/Pro tier: Full resource support

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Post-transfer validation

After transferring resources:
  1. Verify critical resources: 
    prefect --profile dest-profile work-pool ls
prefect --profile dest-profile deployment ls
  2. Test a deployment: 
    prefect --profile dest-profile deployment run my-deployment/my-flow
  3. Check automation status: 
    prefect --profile dest-profile automation ls

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Troubleshooting

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Common issues

Resources skipped as “already exists”
  • This is expected when resources already exist in the destination
  • The transfer can be run multiple times safely
Resources skipped due to tier limitations
  • Some resource types require specific Prefect Cloud tiers
  • Check your workspace tier and capabilities
Connection errors
  • Verify both profiles are correctly configured
  • Check network connectivity and authentication

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Debug mode

For detailed transfer information, enable debug logging: 
PREFECT_LOGGING_LEVEL=DEBUG prefect transfer --from source --to dest

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See also