# Deploy Node.js

> Deploy a Node.js app on Ownkube in minutes. Push your repo and Ownkube builds and ships it, with a live URL and automatic TLS. Managed Postgres and env vars included.

Deploy a plain [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) app or API on Ownkube in minutes. Push your repo and Ownkube builds it and ships it, and you get a live URL with automatic TLS. Managed Postgres, logs, metrics, and one-click rollbacks come built in. No cloud account to start.

## What you'll need

- A Node.js app in a GitHub or GitLab repository
- About five minutes

No card required to sign in and look around. Deploying needs a plan: **Personal** is \$5 / month on a prepaid wallet. See [Pricing](/docs/configuration/pricing).

## Deploy it

1. **Connect your repo**

   Sign in at [app.ownkube.io/login](https://app.ownkube.io/login), open [**Settings**](https://app.ownkube.io/dashboard/settings), and connect the GitHub App (or GitLab) so Ownkube can reach your repository. Already have a prebuilt image in a registry? Point Ownkube at it instead. See [Registries](/docs/features/registries).

2. **Create a Web deployment**

   From your [dashboard](https://app.ownkube.io/dashboard), choose **Create deployment**, pick **Web**, and select your Node.js repo. Ownkube builds it and pushes the image to a registry it manages for you.

3. **Set the port**

   Bind your server to `0.0.0.0`, not `localhost`, so it's reachable, and read the port from `process.env.PORT` if you want Ownkube to control it. **3000** is a common default; set that as the port so traffic routes to your app. You can change it later in Settings.

4. **Add environment variables**

   Add any `KEY=value` pairs your app reads, and mark secrets with the **Secret** toggle. See [Environment variables](/docs/guides/environment-variables).

5. **Deploy**

   Click **Create deployment**. The deployment page streams the build, then startup and health checks. When the status goes **healthy**, open the generated hostname on the Overview tab. Your Node.js app is live, with TLS included.

## Notes for Node.js

### Bind to 0.0.0.0

Servers that bind to `localhost` or `127.0.0.1` are not reachable from outside the container. Bind to `0.0.0.0`.

### Read process.env.PORT

If your app can take a configurable port, read it from `process.env.PORT` so it matches the port you set in Ownkube.

### Add a database

Most Node APIs need Postgres. Attach one in a click and read `DATABASE_URL` from the environment.

### Bring your own Dockerfile

Want full control of the build? Add a `Dockerfile` to your repo and Ownkube uses it, reading the port from its `EXPOSE` line.

## Add a database

Need Postgres? Add a **Database** in one click and Ownkube injects the connection string as `DATABASE_URL` (plus `PGHOST`, `PGUSER`, and friends) into your app. See [Databases](/docs/features/databases).

## Scale and observe

Once you're running, turn on [autoscaling](/docs/features/autoscaling) on CPU and memory, watch [logs and metrics](/docs/features/monitoring) on every deployment, and roll back a bad deploy in one click.

- [Quickstart](/docs/quickstart)
- [Environment variables](/docs/guides/environment-variables)

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