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How to put a Node.js app online

· 4 min read

The classic way to run a Node.js service means renting a VPS, installing Node, a process manager like pm2, a reverse proxy through nginx and a certificate for HTTPS. A lot of manual setup for a single app.

With Netrun you upload your code, and we take the build, the start and the restarts off your hands. Here is how, step by step.

  1. Prepare your project

    Your package.json should list the dependencies and the command to start the app. Keep secrets — keys, tokens, the database connection string — in environment variables rather than in the code.

  2. Upload your code

    As a ZIP archive or by importing a GitHub repository, private ones included. You do not need to include the node_modules folder.

  3. Netrun builds and runs it

    The platform detects Node.js, installs the dependencies and starts the app — no Dockerfile and no process setup needed.

  4. Add secrets if you need them

    When Netrun asks about environment variables, fill in the values for your keys and tokens. They are stored separately from the code.

  5. Get your link

    For a web service Netrun gives you a public address with HTTPS. Logs and status are visible in your dashboard, and if something fails the app restarts automatically.

On the Free plan a project sleeps when idle — for a service that has to respond at all times, pick a paid plan that runs without downtime. Try Netrun.