This tutorial is meant to make it easy for anyone who is hosting a nodejs application that uses the mongoDB database. If you have already checked out my other heroku tutorial using postgresql, then this tutorial will just be a piece of cake.
In any case, I will assume that you are here for the first time, so I will run you through a beginner process. We will be hosting the authentication app we completed in the last tutorial.
- Clone the project here.
- Delete the
.gitfile that may have come with it. Another.gitfile will be created for you in the process of you pushing to GitHub.
So without further ado, let's get our hands dirty.
Uploading to GitHub
Uploading or pushing to GitHub is as easy as taking your favorite meal. Please checkout any of the following links to get directed on just how to push your project from you local machine to GitHub
Deploying to Heroku
I am going to make this process so easy that you will just smile throughout.
- Let's begin by creating an account on Heroku
If you have created an account, you may have been prompted to create an app (i.e. a folder where your app will be housed). Create it. Mine is named nodejs-mongodb-auth-app
- Go to your app's dashboard
- Select the
GitHubDeployment method
- Search and select a repo
- Click on
connect
- Select the branch you want to deploy (In my own case, it is the
masterbranch)
Enable automatic deployment by clicking
Enable automatic deploymentbutton as in the image above.Click on the
Deploybutton in the manual deploy
We will not have to do all these for subsequent deployment
- Now you have a button telling you to "view site" after build is completed. Click it. (This will open your app in a new tab)
OHHH NOOOO!!!! A BUG? APPLICATION ERROR?
Well, it just a small issue. Something you should never forget to do while making deployments. Most hosting service will require it
Fixing Heroku Application Error
Get back to the root directory of your project
- Create a file and name it
Procfile(It has no extension) - In the file, enter the following
web: node index.js
This directs Heroku to the server file (index.js) which is the entry point of the application. If your server is in a different file, please modify as required
- Save the file
- Push the new changes to GitHub
- Wait 2 to 5 minutes for Heroku to automatically detect changes in your github repo and effect the changes on the app.
- You can now refresh that error page and see your hard work paying off
Adding MongoDB
You must have noticed that other routes are not functional. Yes, it is because we have not included our database.
Remember that the URL to our database is in our .env file. But our .env file is not included in our project on github after we pushed it. So we have to directly add the mongoDB URL into our heroku app.
Let's do that...
- Navigate to the settings of your app
https://dashboard.heroku.com/apps/<your_app_name>/settings
- Scroll down to the
Config Varssection - Add the key and value of your database
That is all!!! Your App should be working fine now...
Testing
The easiest way to test if it is working is to try the login endpoint
Mine Worked!
Conclusion
We started out by cloning a the project from our last tutorial. Next, I pointed you to how to push a project to github. We then created a heroku app where we hosted out project from github with ease. Finally, we added our database URL to the app and our app works perfectly like it worked locally.
I hope you have enjoined every bit of this tutorial as I have enjoyed while creating it.
See you in my next tutorial.
Top comments (18)
Hi Samson,
I'm getting some issue with the backend and the configuration of Heroku, which I can't figure out what's going on.
On the localhost testing, everything works fine.
Any clue?
Hi Tiago,
Please check if your configurations are correct. It could be because the database isn't connected.
I've followed your instructions step by step, and have check and re-check it.
Would be too much to ask one "eyes-on" from your side and maybe you spot something I haven't?
If you wish, I can send the heroku credentials to you. by email, I guess?
By chance did you find a solution and would mind sharing? I'm stuck on the same step, somehow the database is not properly connected, but followed every step on tutorial.
Sorry I haven't. Kinda opted out for another solution...
Hello Njoku,
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the link on step one "Clone the project here" directs to the server-tutorial repo on Github when it should direct to the auth-backend repo.
The auth-backend repo is the Node.js server that has correct db setup for MongoDB
I happened to find out by browsing your repos on Github.
Correct link is: github.com/EBEREGIT/auth-backend/b...
Thank you for that observation. You are really detailed 😊
I am still getting that application error even after creating procfile..Can someone please help me out
Please ensure that your Procfile is pointing to the right file
Yes it is pointing to right file
In that case, I will suggest that you go through your application from the beginning. You may have missed a thing or 2
github.com/igdev116/facebook-clone...
I can't push my server to Heroku. It's always "Application Error"
Can you help me? Thanks a lot!!
Do you have procfile already created at the root directory?
The procfile is meant to direct heroku to the entry point of your application. Without it, Heroku will be confused and throw Application Error
This was very helpful. Thanks
This is good news. I am happy to learn this
That Procfile file save me!!! I love you so much..... Thank you.
Wow... I am happy I could be of help. Welcome
Thank you for reading
Still i m facing these erro plase help me
github.com/Hafizjunaid971/fleet git repo
Some comments have been hidden by the post's author - find out more