Deploy your first Node.js app on NeoHeberg

Application hosting runs your Node.js code without giving you root access. You provide a project that starts with a known command, listens on the provided port and writes errors to standard output. The platform handles the rest.

Prepare the project

A minimal project contains package.json, a main file and its dependencies:

{
  "name": "my-app",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "main": "index.js",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node index.js"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^5.0.0"
  }
}

The server must read the port from the environment and listen on all interfaces:

const express = require("express");
const app = express();
const port = Number(process.env.PORT ?? 3000);

app.get("/", (_req, res) => res.send("Online"));
app.get("/health", (_req, res) => res.json({ status: "ok" }));

app.listen(port, "0.0.0.0", () => {
  console.log(`Listening on ${port}`);
});

Never hard-code the port: on application hosting, the value is provided by the platform. Also keep a simple health route to check startup.

Create the service

In the dashboard, choose an application hosting service, then Node.js and a version (22 LTS or 24, depending on availability). Use a clear name such as my-app. Note the RAM, disk and allocations shown: they limit what the application can consume.

Upload the files

Use the Pterodactyl file manager to upload a project archive, then extract it at the server root. The default main file is index.js; if your entry point has another name, adjust MAIN_FILE in the environment variables.

Do not upload node_modules: the start command runs npm install when package.json is present. Do upload package-lock.json for reproducible versions.

Start and verify

Start the server from the panel, then open the console:

• npm install must finish without errors;
• the Listening on ... line must appear;
• the /health route must return {"status":"ok"} through the provided allocation.

If the process restarts in a loop, read the first error, not the last. Common causes are a missing main file, an undeclared dependency or a hard-coded port.

Update

Upload the new files, restart the server and check /health and the logs again. For sensitive values, use the panel environment variables, never a file committed to Git.