Deploy Express.js App on Seenode | Express.js Hosting & Deployment Guide

This guide explains how to deploy your existing Express.js application to seenode.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

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

Configure for seenode Deployment

Port Configuration

Your main.js file should create an Express server that listens on a port defined by an environment variable. This allows seenode to correctly route traffic to your application.

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const port = process.env.PORT || 80;

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
    res.send('Hello World\nWelcome to Seenode!');
});

app.listen(port, () => {
    console.log(`Example app listening on port ${port}`);
});

Package Scripts

Ensure your package.json includes the following scripts:

{
  "name": "example-nodejs-express",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "main": "main.js",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node main.js"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.18.2"
  }
}

Run

npm install

to create your package-lock.json file.

Deploy on seenode

Push to Git

Commit your project and push it to GitHub or GitLab.
Create a Web Service

From the seenode Dashboard, create a new Web Service and connect your Express.js project’s Git repository.
Configure Build & Start

seenode will attempt to detect these automatically. Configure:
- Build Command:
```
npm install
```
- Start Command:
```
node main.js
```
Configure Port and Environment Variables

In the Configure Build & Start screen, set the Port field (above Environment Variables) to your desired value (e.g., 8080). You do not need to add a PORT environment variable. Configure any other environment variables your app needs in the Environment section.
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 Express.js 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.
- Update your framework code if needed (e.g., in main.js, adjust const port = process.env.PORT || 80; or your app.listen(...) call).
- Seeing a 502 Bad Gateway? This often means your app is not listening on the configured port.