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Deploy a Node.js App

This guide walks you through deploying a Node.js application — built with Express, Fastify, Koa, or any other framework — to your own server using Appliku.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • A Node.js application with a package.json in the root of the repository
  • Your code pushed to a GitHub or GitLab repository
  • An Appliku account with at least one server set up
tip

If you are deploying a Next.js application specifically, see the dedicated Deploy Next.js guide instead.

Step 1: Create an Application from GitHub​

Go to the Applications page in your Appliku dashboard and click + Add Application.

Select GitHub (or GitLab) as the source, then fill in the form:

  • Application name — a descriptive name for your app
  • Repository — select your Node.js repository
  • Branch — the branch to deploy from (e.g., main or master)
  • Server — the server to deploy to

Click Create Application.

Step 2: Select the Node.js Build Image​

On the application overview page, go to Settings and open the Build Settings tab.

Change the Base Docker Image to one of the Node.js options (e.g., Node 20 Yarn or Node 20 NPM). Pick the version that matches your project.

Step 3: Set the Build Command​

In the same Build Settings tab, set the Build Command to install dependencies and build your project:

npm install && npm run build

If your project does not have a build step, you can use just:

npm install

If you use Yarn, set the build command to:

yarn install && yarn build

Click Save Changes.

Step 4: Set the Container Port​

Appliku routes HTTP traffic to your web process container. By default it expects port 8000, but most Node.js apps listen on port 3000 or 8080.

Go to the Build Settings tab and set the Container Port to match the port your application listens on (e.g., 3000).

note

Make sure your application reads the port from the PORT environment variable if one is set, and falls back to a default. For example:

const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server running on port ${port}`);
});

Step 5: Add a Web Process​

Go to the Processes tab and add a process:

  • Name: web
  • Command: npm start or node server.js (whichever starts your application)

The web process is special — it is the process that receives HTTP traffic through Nginx.

If your package.json has a start script defined, npm start is the simplest option:

{
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node server.js"
  }
}

Click Save and Deploy.

Step 6: Deploy​

Appliku will build your Docker image, install dependencies, run the build command, and start the web process. You can monitor the build progress on the application overview page.

Once deployed, click View Application to open your app in the browser.

Tips​

Use the PORT Environment Variable​

Always bind your server to 0.0.0.0 and read the port from the PORT environment variable. This ensures Appliku can route traffic correctly:

const host = '0.0.0.0';
const port = process.env.PORT || 3000;
app.listen(port, host);

Run in Production Mode​

Set the NODE_ENV environment variable to production in the Environment Variables tab. Most frameworks optimize performance and disable development features when this is set:

NODE_ENV=production

Health Checks​

If your application has a health check endpoint (e.g., /health), Appliku will use it to verify your app is running before routing traffic to it.

Adding a Database​

If your application needs a database, scroll down on the application overview page and click Add Database to provision PostgreSQL, MySQL, or Redis on the same server. The connection URL will be automatically added to your environment variables.