Deploy Django App on Seenode | Django Hosting & Deployment Guide

This guide explains how to deploy your existing Django application to seenode. For a production-ready setup, we recommend using a PostgreSQL database and WhiteNoise to serve static files.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

A seenode account at cloud.seenode.com
Git configured on your machine
Existing Django project ready to deploy

Configure for seenode Deployment

Production Dependencies

For a production setup, add these packages to your requirements.txt:

gunicorn
dj-database-url
psycopg2-binary # Or the appropriate adapter for your database
whitenoise

Settings Configuration

Update your settings.py for production deployment:

import os
import dj_database_url

# Security settings
SECRET_KEY = os.environ.get('SECRET_KEY')
DEBUG = os.environ.get('DEBUG', 'False').lower() == 'true'
ALLOWED_HOSTS = os.environ.get('ALLOWED_HOSTS', '').split(',')

# Database configuration
DATABASES = {
    'default': dj_database_url.config(conn_max_age=600, ssl_require=True)
}

# Static files with WhiteNoise
MIDDLEWARE = [
    'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
    'whitenoise.middleware.WhiteNoiseMiddleware', # Add WhiteNoise
    # ... other middleware
]

STATIC_URL = '/static/'
STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'staticfiles')
STATICFILES_STORAGE = 'whitenoise.storage.CompressedManifestStaticFilesStorage'

Build Script

Create a build.sh script to streamline deployments:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# exit on error
set -o errexit

pip install -r requirements.txt

python manage.py collectstatic --no-input
python manage.py migrate

Make the script executable: chmod +x build.sh

Deploy on seenode

Push to Git

Commit your project and push it to GitHub or GitLab.
Create a Database (Optional)

If your application needs a database, create a PostgreSQL Database from the seenode Dashboard. seenode also supports MySQL.
Create a Web Service

Create a new Web Service and connect your Django project’s Git repository. Configure your build and start commands: Build Command:
```
./build.sh
```
Start Command:
```
gunicorn your_project.wsgi --bind 0.0.0.0:${PORT:-80}
```
Configure Environment Variables

Navigate to the Environment tab and link your PostgreSQL database. seenode will automatically configure the DATABASE_URL. Configure your production environment variables, including SECRET_KEY and ALLOWED_HOSTS.
Choose Pricing Tier

Select your preferred instance size and create your service.
Deploy

Click Create Web Service and watch logs until your web service is live.
Success

Once complete, your Django application will be accessible via your service’s URL.
Troubleshooting
If your deployment fails, the first place to check is the Logs tab in your seenode service dashboard. Build and runtime logs often contain valuable information for diagnosing issues.
Port configuration mismatch
- Templates default to port 80. Ensure your application listens on the port you set in the Configure Build & Start screen.
- Adjust in framework config if needed (e.g., change your gunicorn bind port or how Django reads the port in production settings).
- Seeing a 502 Bad Gateway? This often means your app is not listening on the configured port.