How to Host a Next.js App in Production on an Ubuntu VPS

Amit Sarkar · March 23, 2024

Deploying a Next.js application to a production VPS can be intimidating, but this guide walks you through each step from setup to deployment.

🛠️ Prerequisites

• Ubuntu VPS with root access
• Node.js & npm installed
• Domain name (optional but recommended)

1. Connect to Your VPS

ssh root@your-server-ip

2. Clone Your Project

git clone https://github.com/your-user/your-nextjs-app.git
cd your-nextjs-app

3. Install Dependencies & Build

npm install
npm run build

4. Start with PM2

npm install -g pm2
pm2 start npm --name "next-app" -- start
pm2 save
pm2 startup

5. Configure NGINX

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/nextjs

Example config:

server {
  listen 80;
  server_name yourdomain.com;

  location / {
    proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
    proxy_http_version 1.1;
    proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
    proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
  }
}

Then enable and restart NGINX:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/nextjs /etc/nginx/sites-enabled
sudo systemctl restart nginx

✅ Done!

Your Next.js app is now live on your VPS. Be sure to set up HTTPS with Let's Encrypt or a custom SSL certificate.