Deploy Django Project On Heroku – Step-by-Step Guide

Recommended updating Django to v2.2.10 if you are using any old version,

if you are using v2.1.7 that will also work.

pip install --upgrade django==2.2.10

Register on Github and Create a Repository,

https://github.com/

Download git if not installed -
https://git-scm.com/downloads

Check git version to confirm the download,
git --version

Register on Heroku,

https://www.heroku.com/

Download Heroku CLI -
https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/getting-started-with-python#set-up

Test with ‘Heroku command in the new terminal then logs in using ‘Heroku login’.
heroku
heroku login

In base folder create requirements.txt file to get all required dependencies,

pip freeze
pip freeze > requirements.txt

In the base folder create a .gitignore file to avoid unwanted files on the server,

https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/master/Python.gitignore

Hide Secret Key, change Debug Mode, Allowed Hosts, and other important Access Keys.

https://django-environ.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
https://mitchel.me/2016/settings-management-in-django/

1) pip install django-environ

2) Create .env file in BASE DIR and add the following,
- DJANGO_SECRET_KEY =
- DJANGO_DEBUG = True
- DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS = [ ]
3). Edit settings.py -
1. import environ
2. Add these code after defining BASE_DIR,
env = environ.Env(SECRET_KEY=str,)
environ.Env.read_env(os.path.join(BASE_DIR,
'.env'))
3. Replace Secret Key, Debug Mode, Allowed Hosts with
env codes.
env(‘DJANGO_SECRET_KEY’)
env(‘DJANGO_DEBUG’)
env(‘DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS’)

      4.)  Also add .env in your .gitignore file.

Push code To Github.

git init
git add . or git add -A
git status
git commit -m “Uploading Taskmate Project” 
  If you get error as a first time user, 
git config –global user.email “[e-mail]” 
git config –global user.name “Your Name”


    Then again do, 
git commit -m “Uploading Taskmate Project” 
git remote add origin h 
   ttps://github.com/your_repo_link 
git push -u origin master

nstall django-heroku (Configure database and static assets with gunicorn)

pip install django-heroku

Update settings.py (import it at the top and add settings at the end).

import django_heroku
django_heroku.settings(locals())

Open Heroku Dashboard on the side and on terminal create Heroku app,

Heroku create project_name
Heroku open

Update requirements.txt and push changes on GitHub & Heroku,

pip freeze > requirements.txt

git status
git add -A or git add .
git commit -m “Taskmate Updated”
git push origin master
git push heroku master

If error occurs for static path, add STATIC_ROOT in settings.py –
STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, ‘staticfiles’)

Handling WSGI (Web Server Gateway Interface),

- Install gunicorn using ‘pip install unicorn
- Create Procfile inside project folder (where manage.py exist)
      (Make sure to use P as capital while naming Procfile)
- Add gunicorn command and update your project_name. 
    web: gunicorn my project.WSGI

Addition reading -
https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/django-app-configuration
https://vsupalov.com/what-is-gunicorn/

Create an empty ‘static files folder and add an empty ‘.keep’ file inside it.

Then push all changes on GitHub and Heroku

If you are still facing error,

• Disable collect static
• Push changes on Heroku

We now need to configure Heroku for Secret Key, Debug Mode, Allowed Hosts.

https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/config-vars

heroku config:set DJANGO_SECRET_KEY=“r4trhegrgFDWEFtgf3$RTF34r”
heroku config:set DJANGO_DEBUG=False
heroku config:set DJANGO_ALLOWED_HOSTS=‘name.herokuapp.com’

Run ‘heroku open’ to see our app working on the server.
Update git and heroku repository after changes.

Now migrate our database and add user –

heroku run bash (we are inside Linux based system)

python manage.py migrate

python manage.py createsuperuser

exit

To edit and push updated content anytime in the future, use –

git status

git add -A or git add .

git commit -m “Message”

git push origin master

push heroku master

Django Official Deployment Checklist

https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/2.2/howto/deployment/checklist/

Remember,
DEBUG = True (Development) -> On your system
DEBUG = False (Production) -> On server

Common Errors:

1. No module named os Solution: Add import os at the top in settings.py file
2. No web process running Solution: Check your Procfile. (Make sure file name is correct Procfile and should not be procfile)
3. App crashed Solution: Update Procfile with this web: gunicorn django_project.wsgi --log-file - (Change django_project with your project name, also take care of spaces with this code)