Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/ashcroft08/provesa-web/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

This guide covers deploying PROVESA Web to production, including setup, configuration, and best practices for a secure and performant deployment.

​
Prerequisites

Before deploying, ensure you have:
1

Production Environment

  • Node.js v20+ installed
  • PostgreSQL 15+ database (local or hosted)
  • Domain name configured (optional but recommended)
  • SSL certificate (for HTTPS)
2

Environment Variables

All required environment variables documented and ready:
  • Database connection string
  • Authentication secrets
  • Email credentials (for password recovery)
  • Production URL/domain
3

Code Repository

  • Code committed to Git repository
  • .env file excluded from version control
  • Production branch ready

​
Environment Configuration

​
Required Environment Variables

Create a .env file in production with the following variables: 
# Database
DATABASE_URL="postgres://user:password@host:5432/provesa"

# Application URL
ORIGIN="https://your-domain.com"

# Better Auth Secret (32+ characters, high entropy)
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET="your-secure-random-secret-here"

# Gmail for Password Recovery
GMAIL_USER="your-email@gmail.com"
GMAIL_APP_PASSWORD="your-16-char-app-password"
Security Critical: Never commit .env files to version control. Use environment variables or secure secret management services.

​
Generating Secure Secrets

Generate a strong BETTER_AUTH_SECRET: 
openssl rand -base64 32
This generates a cryptographically secure 32-byte random string.

​
Database Setup

​
PostgreSQL Production Database

1

Create Database

Create a new PostgreSQL database:
CREATE DATABASE provesa;
CREATE USER provesa_user WITH PASSWORD 'secure_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE provesa TO provesa_user;
2

Configure Connection

Update DATABASE_URL in .env:
DATABASE_URL="postgres://provesa_user:secure_password@localhost:5432/provesa"
For hosted databases (like Railway, Supabase, or Heroku):
DATABASE_URL="postgres://user:pass@host.region.provider.com:5432/dbname"
3

Run Migrations

Apply database schema:
pnpm db:push
Or use migrations:
pnpm db:generate  # Generate migration files
pnpm db:migrate   # Apply migrations
4

Seed Initial Data

Create admin user and default theme:
pnpm db:seed
Change the default admin password immediately after first login.

​
Database Hosting Options

Supabase

  • Free tier with 500MB database
  • Automatic backups
  • Easy PostgreSQL management
  • Global CDN for assets
Learn more →

Railway

  • PostgreSQL as a service
  • Auto-scaling
  • Simple deployment
  • $5/month starter plan
Learn more →

Neon

  • Serverless Postgres
  • Free tier available
  • Instant branching
  • Auto-scaling compute
Learn more →

Self-Hosted

  • Full control
  • No vendor lock-in
  • Requires server management
  • Custom backup solutions

​
Building for Production

​
Creating Production Build

1

Install Dependencies

pnpm install --production=false
Installs all dependencies including dev dependencies needed for build.
2

Run Production Build

pnpm build
This:
  • Compiles SvelteKit application
  • Optimizes assets
  • Generates static files
  • Creates production-ready build in build/ directory
3

Test Production Build

Preview the production build locally:
pnpm preview
Visit the preview URL to test before deploying.

​
Build Output

The build creates:
  • /build - Production server files
  • /build/client - Client-side assets
  • /build/server - Server-side code
  • Static assets optimized and fingerprinted

​
Deployment Options

Vercel provides seamless SvelteKit deployment:
1

Install Vercel CLI

pnpm install -g vercel
2

Login to Vercel

vercel login
3

Deploy

vercel
Follow prompts to:
  • Link to existing project or create new
  • Configure project settings
  • Set environment variables
4

Configure Environment Variables

In Vercel dashboard:
  1. Go to Project Settings → Environment Variables
  2. Add all required variables from .env
  3. Set for Production environment
  4. Redeploy if needed
5

Production Deploy

vercel --prod
Deploys to production domain.
Vercel automatically handles:
  • SSL certificates
  • Global CDN
  • Automatic HTTPS
  • Serverless functions
  • Build optimization

​
Option 2: Node.js Server

Deploy to a traditional Node.js server:
1

Prepare Server

Install Node.js 20+ and pnpm on your server:
curl -fsSL https://get.pnpm.io/install.sh | sh -
2

Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/your-org/provesa-web.git
cd provesa-web
3

Install and Build

pnpm install
pnpm build
4

Set Environment Variables

Create .env file with production values.
5

Start Server

NODE_ENV=production node build/index.js
Or use a process manager like PM2:
pm2 start build/index.js --name provesa-web
pm2 save
pm2 startup

​
Option 3: Docker Container

Containerize the application:
1

Create Dockerfile

FROM node:20-alpine

WORKDIR /app

# Install pnpm
RUN npm install -g pnpm

# Copy package files
COPY package.json pnpm-lock.yaml ./

# Install dependencies
RUN pnpm install --frozen-lockfile

# Copy source
COPY . .

# Build application
RUN pnpm build

# Expose port
EXPOSE 3000

# Start app
CMD ["node", "build/index.js"]
2

Build Image

docker build -t provesa-web .
3

Run Container

docker run -d \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  --env-file .env \
  --name provesa-web \
  provesa-web

​
Option 4: Railway

Deploy with one click to Railway:
1

Connect Repository

  1. Visit Railway
  2. Click “New Project” → “Deploy from GitHub repo”
  3. Select your PROVESA Web repository
2

Add PostgreSQL

  1. Click “New” → “Database” → “Add PostgreSQL”
  2. Railway provisions database automatically
  3. Copy DATABASE_URL from database variables
3

Configure Variables

Add environment variables in Railway dashboard:
  • BETTER_AUTH_SECRET
  • GMAIL_USER
  • GMAIL_APP_PASSWORD
  • ORIGIN (use Railway-provided domain)
4

Deploy

Railway automatically builds and deploys on push to main branch.

​
Post-Deployment Tasks

1

Verify Database Connection

Check that the application can connect to the database:
  • Visit /login page
  • Attempt to log in
  • Check server logs for database errors
2

Change Default Password

Log in with seeded admin credentials and immediately change password:
  1. Log out
  2. Use password recovery flow
  3. Set strong, unique password
3

Test Email Delivery

Verify password recovery emails work:
  1. Request password reset
  2. Check if email arrives
  3. Test reset link
4

Configure Domain

Set up custom domain:
  • Point DNS A record to server IP
  • Or add CNAME to Vercel/Railway domain
  • Configure SSL certificate
  • Update ORIGIN environment variable
5

Enable Monitoring

Set up application monitoring:
  • Error tracking (Sentry, Bugsnag)
  • Performance monitoring
  • Uptime monitoring (UptimeRobot, Pingdom)
  • Log aggregation

​
Security Checklist

  • All secrets stored securely (not in code)
  • .env excluded from version control
  • Strong BETTER_AUTH_SECRET (32+ chars)
  • Production ORIGIN matches actual domain
  • Gmail app password (not regular password)

​
Performance Optimization

​
Caching Strategies

Configure CDN or reverse proxy caching:
  • Cache static files (JS, CSS, images)
  • Set appropriate cache headers
  • Use fingerprinting for cache busting
  • Consider using Cloudflare or similar CDN
  • Add database indexes on frequently queried columns
  • Use connection pooling
  • Implement query caching where appropriate
  • Monitor slow queries
  • Compress images before uploading
  • Use WebP format when possible
  • Implement lazy loading
  • Consider image CDN (Cloudinary, imgix)

​
Monitoring and Logging

Set up comprehensive monitoring:

Application Monitoring

  • Response times
  • Error rates
  • Memory usage
  • CPU utilization
Tools: New Relic, Datadog

Error Tracking

  • Runtime errors
  • Stack traces
  • User impact
  • Error trends
Tools: Sentry, Rollbar

Uptime Monitoring

  • Service availability
  • Response time
  • SSL certificate expiry
  • Alerts and notifications
Tools: UptimeRobot, Pingdom

Log Management

  • Centralized logging
  • Log search and analysis
  • Retention policies
  • Alert on patterns
Tools: Logtail, Papertrail

​
Backup and Recovery

​
Database Backups

1

Configure Automated Backups

Set up daily database backups:
# Example: Daily PostgreSQL backup
pg_dump -U provesa_user provesa > backup_$(date +%Y%m%d).sql
Or use your hosting provider’s backup service.
2

Test Backup Restoration

Regularly test that backups can be restored:
psql -U provesa_user provesa_test < backup_20240312.sql
3

Off-Site Storage

Store backups in different location:
  • Cloud storage (S3, Google Cloud Storage)
  • Different geographic region
  • Encrypted backups

​
Disaster Recovery Plan

  1. Backup Frequency: Daily automated backups
  2. Retention: Keep 30 days of daily backups
  3. Recovery Time Objective (RTO): 4 hours
  4. Recovery Point Objective (RPO): 24 hours
  5. Testing: Quarterly disaster recovery drills

​
Scaling Considerations

​
Horizontal Scaling

As traffic grows:
  1. Multiple App Instances: Deploy multiple server instances behind load balancer
  2. Database Replication: Set up read replicas for database queries
  3. CDN Integration: Offload static assets to CDN
  4. Caching Layer: Add Redis for session storage and caching

​
Vertical Scaling

Increase server resources:
  • Upgrade server CPU and RAM
  • Increase database compute
  • Optimize database queries and indexes

​
Troubleshooting Production Issues

Check:
  • Environment variables set correctly
  • Database accessible from server
  • Port not already in use
  • Node.js version compatible (20+)
  • Build completed successfully
Logs to review:
# Check server logs
tail -f /var/log/provesa-web.log

# Or PM2 logs
pm2 logs provesa-web
Verify:
  • DATABASE_URL format correct
  • Database server running
  • Firewall allows connection
  • User has necessary permissions
  • SSL settings if required
Test connection:
psql "$DATABASE_URL"
Check:
  • GMAIL_USER and GMAIL_APP_PASSWORD correct
  • App password (not regular password)
  • Gmail 2FA enabled
  • SMTP ports not blocked
  • Rate limits not exceeded

​
Maintenance Best Practices

  1. Regular Updates: Keep dependencies updated monthly
  2. Security Patches: Apply critical security updates immediately
  3. Backup Verification: Test backups quarterly
  4. Performance Audits: Review performance metrics monthly
  5. Security Audits: Conduct security review quarterly
  6. Dependency Audits: Run pnpm audit regularly

​
Next Steps

Admin Panel Usage

Learn to use the admin interface

Managing Content

Update and manage site content

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us