Deploy an Express API (Node.js)

Prerequisites

• An Express 4 or 5 app with a committed lockfile.
• A start script in package.json, for example "start": "node index.js".
• If you write TypeScript, a build script that compiles to JavaScript (for example tsc into dist/).

How Deployxa detects Express

A package.json without a frontend framework is treated as a Node.js app on Node.js 20. Dependencies are installed from the lockfile and the start script is run.

Required config: listen on PORT and 0.0.0.0

Bind to every interface and take the port from the environment, falling back to 3000:

// index.js
import express from 'express';
import cors from 'cors';

const app = express();
app.set('trust proxy', 1);           // HTTPS terminates in front of the app
app.use(cors({ origin: process.env.CORS_ORIGIN?.split(',') ?? false }));
app.use(express.json());

app.get('/health', (_req, res) => res.json({ ok: true }));
app.get('/api/hello', (_req, res) => res.json({ message: 'Hello from Deployxa' }));

const port = Number(process.env.PORT) || 3000;
app.listen(port, '0.0.0.0', () => console.log(`listening on ${port}`));

Set the service's Internal Port to the same value (3000 by default). trust proxy makes req.secure, req.ip and secure cookies behave correctly behind the HTTPS proxy.

Environment variables

Databases

In the wizard's Configure step, set Database to PostgreSQL. The connection string is injected into the app as DATABASE_URL, so nothing needs to be committed. Choose SQLite only for small apps: it lives on a persistent volume and has no server.

// db.js
import pg from 'pg';
export const pool = new pg.Pool({ connectionString: process.env.DATABASE_URL, max: 10 });

// usage
const { rows } = await pool.query('select now()');

Run migrations (Knex, Drizzle Kit, Prisma) before the server starts: for example add "start:prod": "prisma migrate deploy && node index.js" to package.json and use npm run start:prod as the start command. npm runs scripts through a shell, so && works there.

Deploy

From the dashboard

1. 1
   Source

   Open Dashboard → Projects → New project (/dashboard/projects/new). Pick the GitHub repository and branch, or upload a .zip archive of the project.

2. 2
   Configure

   Leave the framework preset on Auto-detect or choose Node.js API. Check the fields under advanced settings:

   • Build command: npm install
   • Root directory: ./, or the sub-folder that holds the app in a monorepo
   • Database: PostgreSQL or MySQL if needed
3. 3
   Environment

   Add your variables in the table, or paste a whole .env file into the Bulk / .env tab.

4. 4
   Deploy

   Start the deploy and watch the build log. When the release passes its health check it is served over HTTPS on its Deployxa URL.

5. 5
   Confirm the start command and port

   Open the project's Environment Canvas tab and select the web service. Set Start Command to node index.js. Set Internal Port to 3000 so it matches the port your app listens on. Save and redeploy if you changed anything.

From the CLI

$ npm install -g @deployxa/cli
$ deployxa login
$ cd my-app
$ deployxa link            # pick an existing project, or skip: deploy creates one
$ deployxa env set CORS_ORIGIN "https://app.example.com"
$ deployxa deploy
$ deployxa logs --live     # stream build and runtime logs
$ deployxa open            # open the live URL

If the folder is not linked, deployxa deploy creates a project named after the folder and links it (the link is saved in .deployxa/config.json). Later runs deploy the linked project. deployxa status shows the latest deployment and deployxa rollback previous returns to the release before it.

Custom domain

Go to Dashboard → Domains, choose Connect a domain you already own and pick this project. Deployxa then shows the DNS records to create at your DNS provider:

DNS changes can take several minutes to propagate; use Retry verification once they have. A Let's Encrypt certificate is issued after the domain verifies. From a linked folder you can do the same with the CLI:

$ deployxa domains add app.example.com
$ deployxa dns             # Waiting → Verified → SSL Active
$ deployxa domains list

Common errors and fixes

Start with deployxa logs --live (or the deployment's log view in the dashboard): the build log shows dependency and compile failures, the runtime log shows crashes and bind errors. See also Troubleshooting.