Node.js & Express

This works for Express, Fastify, Koa, Hono, NestJS and any other Node.js server.

A minimal app

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

const app = express()
const port = process.env.PORT || 8080

app.get('/', (req, res) => res.send('Hello from Express'))

app.listen(port, '0.0.0.0', () => console.log(`listening on ${port}`))

{
  "scripts": { "start": "node server.js" },
  "dependencies": { "express": "^5.1.0" }
}

What Zenavo detects

zbpack builds it as Node.js:

Step	Command
Install	npm install, pnpm install, yarn install or bun install, after the lockfile in the repository (yarn without one)
Build	the build script, when there is one (TypeScript, bundlers)
Start	the start script; without one, node index.js

The Node.js version comes from engines.node in package.json (22 when it is not set):

"engines": { "node": "22" }

To use other commands, set ZBPACK_BUILD_COMMAND or ZBPACK_START_COMMAND under Settings → Build → zbpack options (Build Plan).

Deploy

1. Add Service → GitHub, pick the repository and branch.
2. Add variables, click Next, check the preview shows nodejs, and click Deploy.
3. Generate a domain on the Networking tab.

Connect a database

Add a database to the project and reference its variables from the app's service:

DATABASE_URL=${POSTGRESQL_CONNECTION_STRING}
REDIS_URL=${REDIS_CONNECTION_STRING}

Run migrations when the app starts, not in the build: builds cannot reach the project's databases. A predeploy script in package.json runs before start every time the service starts:

"scripts": {
  "predeploy": "node migrate.js",
  "start": "node server.js"
}

TypeScript

Compile in the build script and start the output:

"scripts": {
  "build": "tsc",
  "start": "node dist/server.js"
}

Keep typescript in dependencies or devDependencies; both are installed for the build.

Common problems

Symptom	Cause
Deploy never becomes healthy	The server listens on localhost or a fixed port. Listen on 0.0.0.0 and process.env.PORT.
Cannot find module at start	The start script points at a file the build did not produce, or a dependency is missing from package.json.
The wrong package manager is used	The lockfile is missing or there are two of them. Keep exactly one.
Uploaded files disappear after a deploy	The container's disk is replaced on every deploy. Use a volume or object storage.