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Overview

shrtnr is built with Next.js 16 and requires a PostgreSQL database (Neon) and Redis cache (Upstash) for optimal performance. This guide walks you through the complete deployment process.

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Prerequisites

Before deploying, ensure you have:
  • Node.js 20+ installed
  • A Neon account for PostgreSQL
  • An Upstash account for Redis
  • A deployment platform (Vercel, Railway, or similar)

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Tech Stack

Next.js 16.1.6

Modern React framework with App Router

Neon PostgreSQL

Serverless PostgreSQL with auto-scaling

Upstash Redis

Serverless Redis for caching and rate limiting

NextAuth v5

Authentication with credentials provider

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Dependencies

The application uses the following core dependencies:
package.json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "@neondatabase/serverless": "^0.10.0",
    "@upstash/redis": "^1.36.2",
    "next": "16.1.6",
    "next-auth": "^5.0.0-beta.30",
    "react": "19.2.3",
    "nanoid": "^5.1.6",
    "bcryptjs": "^3.0.3",
    "date-fns": "^4.1.0",
    "lucide-react": "^0.575.0",
    "motion": "^12.34.1"
  }
}

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Deployment Steps

1

Clone and Install

Clone the repository and install dependencies:
git clone <your-repo-url>
cd shrtnr
npm install
2

Set Up Neon PostgreSQL

  1. Create a new project at neon.tech
  2. Copy your connection string from the dashboard
  3. The connection string format: postgresql://user:password@host/database?sslmode=require
Neon provides a pooled connection string - use this for serverless environments
3

Set Up Upstash Redis

  1. Create a new Redis database at upstash.com
  2. Copy the REST URL and REST Token from the dashboard
  3. Upstash Redis uses HTTP-based requests, perfect for serverless
4

Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env.local file with your credentials:
.env.local
# Database
POSTGRES_URL="postgresql://user:password@host/database?sslmode=require"

# Redis
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL="https://your-redis.upstash.io"
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN="your-redis-token"

# Authentication
AUTH_SECRET="your-secure-random-string"
NEXTAUTH_URL="http://localhost:3000"
Generate AUTH_SECRET using: openssl rand -base64 32
See Environment Variables for complete reference.
5

Initialize Database

Run the database initialization script:
npm run db:init
This creates all required tables and indexes. See Database Setup for schema details.
6

Test Locally

Run the development server:
npm run dev
Visit http://localhost:3000 to verify everything works.
7

Deploy to Production

# Install Vercel CLI
npm i -g vercel

# Deploy
vercel

# Add environment variables in Vercel dashboard
# Then deploy to production
vercel --prod
Vercel automatically detects Next.js and configures build settings
8

Run Post-Deployment Checks

Verify your deployment:
  • Homepage loads correctly
  • Can create a short link
  • Short links redirect properly
  • User registration works
  • Login authentication functions
  • Analytics are being tracked

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Production Checklist

  • AUTH_SECRET is a strong random string (32+ characters)
  • Environment variables are not committed to git
  • HTTPS is enabled on your domain
  • Database connections use SSL
  • Rate limiting is configured in Redis
  • Redis caching is active for link lookups
  • Database indexes are created (handled by migration)
  • Next.js is running in production mode
  • CDN is configured for static assets
  • Error tracking is configured (e.g., Sentry)
  • Uptime monitoring is active
  • Database connection pooling is enabled
  • Log aggregation is set up

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Troubleshooting

  1. Verify POSTGRES_URL is correct
  2. Check if Neon project is active
  3. Ensure SSL mode is included: ?sslmode=require
  4. Test connection with: npm run test:db
  1. Verify UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL and UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN
  2. Check Upstash dashboard for database status
  3. Ensure REST API is enabled (not just regular Redis protocol)
  1. Verify AUTH_SECRET is set
  2. Set NEXTAUTH_URL to your production domain
  3. Check that trustHost: true is enabled in production
  4. Ensure users table exists in database

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Next Steps

Environment Variables

Complete reference for all configuration options

Database Schema

Understand the database structure and migrations

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