Deploy Node Apps

Node apps need a running process. A common setup is Nginx on public ports and Node on localhost.

Browser -> Nginx :443 -> Node app :3000

Deploy flow:

pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
pnpm build
sudo systemctl restart my-app

Environment variables should be injected through systemd, a secrets manager, or controlled env files with strict permissions.

Further Learning

• “Node app systemd deploy” — process management
• “Nginx reverse proxy Node app” — traffic routing
• “environment variables production Node” — config handling

Deploy Node Apps

Deploying a Node app (unlike a static site) means keeping an actual running process alive, and putting something in front of it to handle public traffic safely.

The typical setup

Browser → Nginx (public, port 443) → Node app (private, port 3000)

Nginx faces the internet and handles HTTPS; your Node app just runs quietly on an internal port that only the server itself can reach. (See the earlier lessons on Nginx and systemd for how each piece works.)

The deploy sequence

npm install
npm run build
sudo systemctl restart my-app   # picks up the new code

Restarting the systemd service is what actually swaps in your new code — just building isn’t enough on its own.

Settings, not secrets, in your code

Environment variables (database URLs, API keys) should be injected through systemd’s config or a protected env file — never hardcoded and never committed to the repository.

In one sentence

Deploying a Node app means Nginx handling public traffic and forwarding to your app running privately, with a restart step (via systemd) actually applying new code — and environment variables/secrets should never be committed to Git.

Want to go deeper?

Switch to Expert mode above for the full deployment flow with environment variable management.