Deploying a Node.js App

Before You Start#

1. Your Node.js app files must already be on the server — upload them via FTP, SSH, or the File Manager
2. Your app must listen on a port (use process.env.PORT — the panel passes it automatically)
3. Run npm install inside your app directory before deploying

Step 1 — Prepare Your App#

Make sure your app reads the port from the environment:

// server.js
const express = require('express');
const app = express();

const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;

app.get('/', (req, res) => res.send('Hello from Opterius!'));

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

Step 2 — Install Dependencies#

SSH into your server (or use the Web Terminal) and run:

cd /home/myuser/mydomain.com
npm install --production

Step 3 — Deploy in the Panel#

1. Go to Node.js in the sidebar
2. Click Deploy App
3. Fill in the form:
   • Domain — the domain Nginx should proxy to your app
   • App Name — a short identifier (e.g. api or myapp). Used as the PM2 process name.
   • Startup Command — the command to start your app (e.g. node server.js or npm start)
   • Port — the port your app listens on (e.g. 3000)
4. Click Deploy App

The panel will:

• Start your app with PM2 under your account user
• Configure Nginx to proxy your domain to the specified port
• Redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS

Startup Commands#

Checking the App Is Running#

After deploying, visit your domain. If the page doesn't load:

1. Go to Node.js → your app → Logs — check for startup errors
2. Verify npm install was run in the working directory
3. Make sure your app actually listens on the port it was given

Re-deploying After Code Changes#

The panel does not auto-deploy on file changes. After updating your app files:

1. Go to Node.js → your app
2. Click Restart

Or via SSH:

pm2 restart myuser_myapp

Next Steps#

• Managing Apps with PM2
• Environment Variables
• Nginx Reverse Proxy