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Node.js

To use our example repositories, you must create a Sevalla account. This guide includes examples of how to set up the following Node.js applications to deploy on Sevalla’s Application Hosting services from a GitHub repository:

Node.js​

  1. In Sevalla, click Applications > Add application > select Git repository > Public repository, and complete as follows:
  2. Enter a Name, choose a Location, choose a pod size within Resources, and click Create & deploy.

During deployment, Sevalla automatically detects the Start command for the web process and installs dependencies defined in your package.json file. The app is available as soon as the deployment finishes, and the Sevalla Welcome page loads at your application’s URL.

Sevalla Welcome page after successful deployment of Node.js.

Sevalla Welcome page after successful deployment of Node.js.

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Web server setup​

Port​

Sevalla automatically sets the PORT environment variable. You do not need to define it yourself or hard-code it into the application. Use process.env.PORT in your code when referring to the server port.

app.listen(process.env.PORT, () => {
console.log(`Hello World Application is running on port ${process.env.PORT}`)
})

Start command​

When you deploy an application, Sevalla automatically creates a web process with npm start as the Start command. Make sure you use this command to run your server. If you want to use a different command, you need to modify the web process in Sevalla.

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

Environment variables​

By default, the NODE_ENV environment variable is not set to production for Node.js applications; you must add this environment variable manually.

Deployment lifecycle​

Whenever a deployment is initiated (through creating an application or re-deploying due to an incoming commit), the npm build command is run, followed by the npm start command.

Node.js application with a Dockerfile​

  1. In Sevalla, click Applications > Add application > select Git repository > Public repository, and complete as follows:
  2. Enter a Name, choose a Location, choose a pod size within Resources, and click Create & deploy.

The Dockerfile must contain the Start command either in a CMD line or ENTRYPOINT instruction. The app is available as soon as the deployment finishes, and a Hello World page loads at your application’s URL.

Node.js with Dockerfile Hello World page after successful installation.

Node.js with Dockerfile Hello World page after successful installation.

Deployment lifecycle​

When you create the app, Sevalla creates a process from the CMD instruction in the Dockerfile:

CMD ["npm", "run", "start"]

If you change this command in the repository after deploying the application, the process is not automatically updated in Sevalla, so you must also edit the Start command in your application’s Processes.

Node.js application to send emails​

This is an example of how to set up a Node.js application to send emails via SendGrid on Sevalla’s Application Hosting services, deployed from a GitHub repository.

Sevalla does not natively support outbound emails from servers. Sending emails through specialized outbound providers such as SendGrid or Mailchimp offers more flexibility and higher success rates for transactional and campaign emails.

warning

While Sevalla doesn’t limit or control the outbound mail you send using a third-party SMTP service provider, we maintain a strict anti-spam policy. That policy covers emails sent via an application or site hosted at Sevalla, even if we are not the SMTP provider.

  1. In Sevalla, click Applications > Add application > select Git repository > Public repository, and complete as follows:
  2. Enter a Name, choose a Location, choose a pod size within Resources, and click Create.
  3. Once the application is created, click Environment variables > Add environment variable, and add the following:
    • SENDGRID_API_KEY: The API key from SendGrid.
    • TEST_EMAIL_TO_ADDRESS: The address you’d like to send the test email to.
    • TEST_EMAIL_FROM_ADDRESS: The address you’d like to send the test email from.
    • TEST_ENDPOINT: The endpoint you’d like to use as a trigger to send the test email. Use a random string of at least 8 characters.
  4. Click Deployments > Deploy now > Deploy application.

The app is available as soon as the deployment finishes, and a Hello World page loads at your application’s URL.

Node.js email sending Hello World page after successful installation.

Node.js email sending Hello World page after successful installation.

Trigger an email​

This project does not require a build phase. The start command runs node server.js, which starts an Express server with two endpoints:

  • /: A simple page that returns the Hello World message
  • /${TEST_ENDPOINT}: A page that triggers a test email.

To trigger an email, find the URL of your deployment on the Deployments page, append your test endpoint to this URL, and visit the page. For example, if your TEST_ENDPOINT is set to o34nifnodhni4of and your latest deployment is at https://example.kinsta.app you can trigger a test email from https://example.kinsta.app/o34nifnodhni4of in your browser.

An “Email sent” message appears if the test email is successful.

Node.js email sent message.

Node.js email sent message.

If you verify this at SendGrid, you also get a successful message.

Test email received at SendGrid.

Test email received at SendGrid.