# Deploy with Node.js

### Run with Lowdefy CLI:

To test the production server, it can be run locally. In order to do this, first create the production build output using:

`pnpx lowdefy@6 build`

The production server can then be run using:

`pnpx lowdefy@6 start`

### Deploying the built server:

`pnpx lowdefy@6 build` writes a complete server into `<config-directory>/.lowdefy/server` — the Hono server (`src/`), the built client assets (`dist/client/`), the app build artifacts (`build/`), and `public/`.

Copy that folder (with its `node_modules`, or run `pnpm install --prod` inside it on the target machine) to your server and run:

```node src/index.js```

from inside the folder, or `pnpm start`. The server listens on `PORT` (default 3000).

Always run the build before restarting the server — the server reads the client asset manifest once at startup.

With `auth.email` configured, the server needs the app's canonical origin — `BETTER_AUTH_URL`, or the `url` of the current environment in `config.environments` — or it refuses to start, so emailed auth links cannot take their host from a request. To test the production server locally, set `BETTER_AUTH_URL=http://localhost:3000`.

Behind a reverse proxy or load balancer, list its addresses in `config.trustedProxies` so auth rate limits count each client, not the proxy. See [Behind a reverse proxy](/docker#behind-a-reverse-proxy).

### Alternative

An alternative option would be to make use of [Docker](./docker) to deploy the app. Docker has a few advantages, including scalability, application portability, version control and deployment speed, amoung others.