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Node.js server deployment

1

Build for production

Run the build command from the project root. Nitro compiles the application and writes the output to the .output/ directory.
npm run build
The .output/ directory contains everything needed to run the application — no node_modules or source files are required on the server.
2

Set production environment variables

Configure all required environment variables in your hosting environment. Do not copy your .env file to the server — set variables directly through your platform’s interface or use a secrets manager.The seven variables read by nuxt.config.ts runtimeConfig are:
VariableRequiredDescription
DATABASE_URLYesProduction PostgreSQL connection string.
JWT_SECRETYesSecret for signing JWTs. Use 32+ random characters.
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAMENoCloudinary cloud name for photo uploads.
CLOUDINARY_API_KEYNoCloudinary API key.
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRETNoCloudinary API secret.
NUXT_PUBLIC_TURNSTILE_SITE_KEYYesProduction Turnstile site key (browser-facing).
TURNSTILE_SECRET_KEYYesProduction Turnstile secret key (server-side).
See Environment variables for the complete reference.
3

Push database schema to production

Apply the Drizzle schema to your production database. Ensure DATABASE_URL is pointing to your production database before running this command.
npx drizzle-kit push
This creates all tables defined in server/database/schema.ts if they do not already exist.
4

Seed initial admin user (optional)

If you are setting up a fresh production database rather than migrating data from development, run the seed script to create the initial admin account.
npx tsx server/database/seed.ts
Skip this step if you are migrating existing user data from another environment. Change the default admin password immediately after the first login.
5

Start the server

Start the production server using Node.js.
node .output/server/index.mjs
The server listens on port 3000 by default. You can change this with the PORT environment variable.
6

Use a process manager (recommended)

For long-running production deployments, use PM2 to manage the process. PM2 handles automatic restarts on crash and server reboot.
pm2 start .output/server/index.mjs --name nuxt-secure
To configure PM2 to start on system boot:
pm2 save && pm2 startup

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Vercel deployment

Vercel auto-detects Nuxt.js projects and configures the build pipeline automatically.
  1. Install the Vercel CLI: 
    npm i -g vercel
  2. Deploy to production from the project root: 
    vercel --prod
  3. Add all environment variables in the Vercel dashboard under Settings → Environment Variables. Set them for the Production environment.
Vercel is the recommended platform when using Neon DB, as both are optimized for serverless connections. Neon’s serverless driver handles connection pooling automatically.

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Environment variables in production

See Environment variables for the complete variable reference. Two variables require special attention for production:
  • TURNSTILE_SECRET_KEY and NUXT_PUBLIC_TURNSTILE_SITE_KEY must be keys registered in the Cloudflare Turnstile dashboard with your production domain. Keys registered for localhost will not work in production, and test keys bypass verification entirely.
  • JWT_SECRET must be consistent across all instances if you run multiple replicas. Changing this value in production immediately invalidates all active sessions.

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Security considerations

  • Use a strong JWT_SECRET — Generate at least 32 random characters. Use openssl rand -base64 32 to produce a cryptographically secure value.
  • Enable HTTPS — Secure cookies require HTTPS. Most platforms provide TLS automatically; if self-hosting, use a reverse proxy like Nginx or Caddy with a Let’s Encrypt certificate.
  • Keep DATABASE_URL private — The Neon connection string contains your database credentials. Only set it as a server-side environment variable — never expose it to the browser.
  • Set the Turnstile domain — In the Cloudflare Turnstile dashboard, configure the widget’s allowed domains to your production URL only.
Never use development or test Cloudflare Turnstile keys in production. Test keys accept all challenges without verification, leaving the login form unprotected against bots.

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