How to Deploy Your Node.js App to Heroku Straight from Github: The Ultimate Guide

As a full-stack developer, one of the most satisfying feelings is releasing your carefully crafted web applications to the world. While it‘s fun to show off screenshots or demo videos, nothing quite compares to providing a live, fully functional app that anyone can explore and interact with.

Fortunately, the days of tedious server setup and complicated deployments are behind us. Thanks to the rise of cloud platforms like Heroku, publishing a web app is almost trivially easy. In mere minutes, you can go from code on your computer to a running app on the internet, without ever opening a terminal on a remote server.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll walk through the process of deploying a Node.js application to Heroku, using Github as the intermediary for our code. By the end, you‘ll be able to ship your apps to the web with confidence and ease.

Why Node.js and Heroku?

Before we dive in, let‘s take a moment to appreciate just how powerful the combination of Node.js and Heroku can be.

Node.js has skyrocketed in popularity since its initial release in 2009. As of 2021, it‘s used by over 50% of professional developers, according to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey. Its asynchronous, event-driven architecture makes it ideal for building scalable network applications, and the vast ecosystem of packages available through npm accelerates development speed.

Year	Node.js Usage Among Developers
2017	47.1%
2018	49.9%
2019	50.4%
2020	51.4%
2021	51.9%

Source: Stack Overflow Developer Survey

Heroku, founded in 2007, pioneered the concept of platform as a service (PaaS). It allows developers to focus on writing code, while abstracting away the complexities of infrastructure and operations. Today, Heroku supports millions of apps from companies of all sizes. According to BuiltWith, over 1.6 million live websites currently run on Heroku.

Metric	Value
Live Websites Using Heroku	1,653,207
Heroku Customers	8,500+
Daily Active Users	28 million

Source: Heroku, BuiltWith

Combined, Node.js and Heroku provide a powerful, flexible platform for building and deploying web apps with ease. So let‘s see how to make them work together!

Prerequisites

Before we get started, ensure you have the following:

1. Node.js installed on your local machine. I recommend using the latest LTS version for stability. Node installation is straightforward, just grab the appropriate package for your operating system and follow the prompts.

2. A Github account to host your code repository. Signing up is free and instant. Github‘s generous free tier includes unlimited public repositories, perfect for open source projects and personal portfolios.

We‘ll use Git to version control the code locally and push it to Github. If you‘re new to Git, don‘t worry, we‘ll cover the essential commands as we go along.

Step 1: Prepare Your Node.js App

Let‘s start by creating a minimal Node.js app to deploy. Create a new directory for your project and initialize it as an npm package. You can either use npm init to interactively create a package.json file or use this barebones template:

{
  "name": "node-heroku-example",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "An example Node.js app to deploy to Heroku",
  "main": "index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node index.js"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.17.1"
  }
}

The package.json file is the heart of any Node.js project. It records important metadata about the project, like its name, version, and dependencies. Crucially for deployment, it specifies the command to start the app in the "scripts" section. Heroku will use this command to boot up your app on its dynos.

Next, install the Express web framework, the most popular choice for Node.js:

npm install express

Now create an index.js file in the root of the project with this simple Express app:

const express = require(‘express‘)
const app = express()
const port = process.env.PORT || 3000

app.get(‘/‘, (req, res) => {
  res.send(‘Hello from Heroku!‘)
})

app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server is running on port ${port}`)
})

This code sets up a single route that responds with a friendly greeting. Notice how we read the port from the PORT environment variable, falling back to 3000 as a default. When running on Heroku, the PORT variable will be automatically populated with the port the app should listen on.

Test the app locally with:

npm start

Visit http://localhost:3000 in your browser and confirm that you see the "Hello from Heroku!" message.

Step 2: Put the Code on Github

Next, let‘s push the app code to Github. If you haven‘t already, initialize a Git repository in your project directory:

git init

Stage all files and make an initial commit:

git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"

On Github, create a new repository by clicking the "+" icon in the top right and selecting "New repository". Give it a name, choose the visibility level (public or private), and click "Create repository".

Github will show you instructions for pushing an existing local repository. Follow these steps:

git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/your-repo-name.git
git branch -M main
git push -u origin main

Replace your-username and your-repo-name with your actual Github details. After the push completes, refresh the Github page and bask in the glow of your code sitting prettily in its new home.

Step 3: Create a Heroku App

If you haven‘t already, go to Heroku and create a free account. Once logged in, click the "New" button in the top right, and choose "Create new app".

Pick a name for your app, which will be used in the public URL, and select a region. Click "Create app" to spin up the application on Heroku.

You‘ll be taken to the app‘s dashboard. Click on the "Deploy" tab, where we‘ll configure the connection to Github.

Step 4: Connect Heroku to Github

In the "Deploy" section, find the "Deployment method" area and click on the "Github" logo.

If this is your first time connecting Heroku to Github, you‘ll need to authorize Heroku to access your repositories. Click "Authorize" in the pop-up window to enable the integration.

Once authorized, use the search box to find the repository you pushed the code to in step 2. Click "Connect" to establish the link between the Heroku app and the Github repo.

Step 5: Enable Automatic Deploys

With the Github connection established, you have a choice between automatic and manual deployments.

I highly recommend enabling automatic deployments for most projects. In this mode, Heroku will monitor the selected branch of your Github repo, and automatically re-deploy the app whenever new commits are pushed. It‘s a huge time-saver and ensures your deployed app is always up to date with the latest code changes.

To enable automatic deploys, navigate to the "Automatic deploys" section, choose the desired branch (e.g., main), and click "Enable Automatic Deploys".

Since our app is built with Node.js, we need to add the appropriate buildpack in Heroku. Buildpacks are scripts that are run when your app is deployed, used to install dependencies and configure the environment.

Click on the "Settings" tab at the top of the Heroku dashboard, scroll down to "Buildpacks", and click "Add buildpack". Choose "nodejs" from the list and click "Save changes". Heroku now knows to use the Node.js buildpack when deploying the app.

Step 6: Deploy and Marvel

It‘s the moment of truth! Go back to the "Deploy" tab and locate the "Manual deploy" section. Even though we enabled automatic deploys, we‘ll trigger a manual deploy this first time to get the ball rolling.

Choose the branch you want to deploy and click "Deploy Branch".

Heroku will fetch the code from Github, install dependencies using the Node.js buildpack, and start the app using the command specified in the "start" script of package.json. You can watch the build progress in the log window that appears.

Once the deployment finishes, Heroku will display a "Your app was successfully deployed" message. Click "View" to see your live app in all its glory!

The app‘s URL can be found anytime under the "Settings" tab, in the "Domains" section. Share it far and wide, you‘ve earned it!

Best Practices and Next Steps

Congratulations on successfully deploying your Node.js app to Heroku! Here are some additional tips and best practices to keep in mind as you continue your journey:

• Use environment variables for sensitive information like API keys or database credentials. Heroku provides an easy way to set these in the app‘s dashboard under "Settings" > "Config Vars".

• Take advantage of Heroku‘s logging system to gain visibility into your running app. You can view logs in real-time with the heroku logs --tail command, or access them in the dashboard under the "More" menu.

• To run one-off commands or scripts in the context of your deployed app, use the heroku run command. For example, heroku run bash will open an interactive shell session on a dyno.

• Consider using a process manager like PM2 to manage your Node.js process and add features like automatic restarts on crashes. Heroku has a guide on using process managers with Node.js apps.

• If your app connects to a database, provision an appropriate Heroku Postgres or MongoDB add-on for easy setup and maintenance. Heroku will automatically populate the database connection URL in an environment variable for seamless integration.

• To minimize cold start times and improve performance, consider using the Heroku Redis add-on for caching frequently accessed data.

• As your app grows, familiarize yourself with Heroku‘s support for scaling and multiple environments. You can easily add more dynos to handle increased traffic, or create staging and production environments for a smooth testing and release workflow.

Alternatives to Heroku

While Heroku is a fantastic option for deploying Node.js apps, it‘s not the only player in the game. Here are a few alternative platforms to consider:

• AWS Elastic Beanstalk: If you‘re already using other AWS services, Elastic Beanstalk provides an easy way to deploy and scale Node.js apps on Amazon‘s cloud infrastructure.

• Google App Engine: Google‘s PaaS offering supports Node.js and integrates with Firebase and other Google Cloud services.

• Microsoft Azure App Service: Azure‘s PaaS supports Node.js and integrates with VS Code for easy deployment from your code editor.

• DigitalOcean App Platform: A newer entrant, DigitalOcean‘s App Platform provides a simple, developer-friendly way to build, deploy, and scale Node.js apps.

Each platform has its own strengths and pricing model, so evaluate your needs and do your research to find the best fit.

FAQ and Troubleshooting

Q: How can I deploy updates to my app?
A: If you‘ve enabled automatic deploys, simply push your changes to the watched Github branch (e.g., main). Heroku will automatically pick up the changes and re-deploy your app. For manual deploys, go to the "Deploy" tab in the Heroku dashboard, scroll down to "Manual deploy", and click "Deploy Branch".

Q: Why is my app crashing on Heroku?
A: Check the Heroku logs for clues. You can view them in the dashboard under the "More" menu > "View logs", or use the heroku logs --tail command. Common causes include incorrect environment variable settings, mismatched Node.js versions, or issues in your application code.

Q: How do I use a custom domain with my Heroku app?
A: In the Heroku dashboard, go to "Settings" and scroll down to "Domains". Click "Add domain" and enter your custom domain. Heroku will provide a DNS target to point your domain to. Add a CNAME record with your DNS provider to complete the process. Detailed instructions can be found in the Heroku Dev Center.

Q: Can I run multiple Node.js apps on a single Heroku dyno?
A: No, each dyno can only run a single command, typically the start script for a single app. To run multiple apps on Heroku, create separate Heroku apps for each, or consider using a Docker-based deployment strategy with multiple containers per dyno.

Conclusion and Call to Action

In this guide, we‘ve explored the process of deploying a Node.js application to Heroku using Github for source control. We covered the key steps from creating a basic Express app, to setting up continuous deployment with Github and Heroku, along with some best practices and troubleshooting tips.

The combination of Node.js and Heroku is incredibly powerful for full-stack developers. It allows you to focus on building great applications without worrying about infrastructure and operations. By leveraging the rich ecosystem of npm packages and add-ons, you can rapidly develop and deploy web apps that scale effortlessly.

I encourage you to take the concepts and techniques from this guide and apply them to your own projects. Share your work with the world, gather feedback from real users, and continuously improve your skills. The Heroku free tier is generous, so there‘s no excuse not to experiment and learn.

Remember, the key to growth as a developer is to build, ship, and iterate. With Node.js and Heroku in your toolbelt, you have everything you need to bring your ideas to life on the web. So go forth and create something amazing!

If you found this guide helpful, please share it with your fellow developers. And if you have any further questions or topics you‘d like me to cover, feel free to reach out. Happy coding!