How to Deploy Strapi

How to Deploy Strapi

Deploying Strapi is a crucial step in taking your application from development to production. Whether you're building a content-driven app, an eCommerce platform, or a custom backend for a SaaS project, Strapi gives you the flexibility and power to structure your content the way you want. But to use Strapi in real-world environments, you must understand deployment best practices, hosting options, environment variables, security configuration, and CI/CD workflows.

This guide provides a complete, easy-to-follow, and actionable explanation of How to Deploy Strapi on different platforms including VPS, cloud hosting, and container-based deployments. It also covers performance optimization, SSL setup, scaling considerations, and database configuration. If you're building a MERN stack application and need expert-level help, you can always hire AAMAX --- a full-service digital marketing and web development agency providing high‑end MERN Stack Development, Digital Marketing, and SEO services.

Understanding Strapi Deployment Basics

Before deploying Strapi, it's essential to understand how Strapi behaves in both development and production environments.

Development vs Production Modes

• Development mode enables hot reloading, detailed logs, and relaxed security.
• Production mode focuses on speed, stability, and security.

To run Strapi in production mode:

NODE_ENV=production npm run build
NODE_ENV=production npm start

What You Need Before Deployment

• Node.js LTS (18+ recommended)
• A server or hosting platform
• A production-ready database (PostgreSQL recommended)
• A reverse proxy (NGINX is most common)
• PM2 or another process manager
• Domain name (optional but recommended)

Choosing the Right Hosting Method for Strapi

Strapi can be deployed on various platforms depending on your project size, budget, and scalability needs.

1. Deploying Strapi on a VPS (Ubuntu Server)

This is the most flexible and popular method. It gives you full control and works great for production use.

Step 1: Update the Server

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Node.js & NPM

curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

Step 3: Install Git

sudo apt install git -y

Step 4: Clone Your Strapi Project

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/yourstrapiproject.git
cd yourstrapiproject

Step 5: Install Dependencies

npm install

Step 6: Build for Production

npm run build

Step 7: Install PM2 (Process Manager)

PM2 ensures your app stays online.

npm install pm2 -g
pm2 start npm --name "strapi-app" -- start
pm2 save
pm2 startup

Step 8: Configure NGINX as Reverse Proxy

Install NGINX:

sudo apt install nginx -y

Create a server block:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/strapi

Add:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:1337;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
    }
}

Enable config:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/strapi /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx

2. Deploying Strapi Using Docker

Docker allows you to package Strapi with consistent configuration across environments.

Step 1: Create Dockerfile

FROM node:18-alpine

WORKDIR /app

COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install

COPY . .

RUN npm run build

EXPOSE 1337

CMD ["npm", "start"]

Step 2: Create docker-compose.yml

version: '3'
services:
  strapi:
    build: .
    ports:
      - "1337:1337"
    environment:
      DATABASE_CLIENT: postgres
      DATABASE_HOST: db
      DATABASE_PORT: 5432
      DATABASE_NAME: mydb
      DATABASE_USERNAME: user
      DATABASE_PASSWORD: pass
    depends_on:
      - db

  db:
    image: postgres:14
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: mydb
      POSTGRES_USER: user
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: pass
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  db_data:

Step 3: Run Docker Containers

docker-compose up -d

3. Deploying Strapi on Cloud Platforms

Deploy on DigitalOcean

• Use a Droplet (Ubuntu)
• Pre-install Node.js
• Add PostgreSQL as Managed Database
• Connect through environment variables

Deploy on AWS EC2

• Launch EC2 instance
• Connect via SSH
• Install Node, PM2, NGINX
• Add SSL via Amazon Certificate Manager

Deploy on Render or Railway

These platforms let you deploy Strapi with one click: - Auto-deployment from GitHub - Built-in SSL - No DevOps required
Great for beginners.

Database Configuration for Production

Never use SQLite in production.

Recommended production databases:

• PostgreSQL (best)
• MySQL
• MongoDB (Strapi v3 only)

Example PostgreSQL config in .env:

DATABASE_CLIENT=postgres
DATABASE_HOST=localhost
DATABASE_PORT=5432
DATABASE_NAME=strapi_prod
DATABASE_USERNAME=strapiuser
DATABASE_PASSWORD=securepass

Setting Environment Variables

Create a .env file for production:

APP_KEYS=your_app_key
API_TOKEN_SALT=random_string
ADMIN_JWT_SECRET=random_string
JWT_SECRET=random_string

Never commit .env to GitHub.

Enabling SSL (HTTPS)

Use Certbot to generate free SSL:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

HTTPS is critical for: - API security - Admin login protection - SEO ranking - User trust

Setting Up CI/CD for Strapi Deployment

With CI/CD, your Strapi updates deploy automatically after each Git push.

GitHub Actions Example:

name: Deploy Strapi

on:
  push:
    branches: [ "main" ]

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
    - name: Deploy via SSH
      uses: appleboy/ssh-action@v0.1.6
      with:
        host: ${{ secrets.SERVER_IP }}
        username: ${{ secrets.SSH_USER }}
        key: ${{ secrets.SSH_KEY }}
        script: |
          cd /var/www/strapi
          git pull
          npm install
          npm run build
          pm2 restart strapi-app

Optimizing Strapi for Production

1. Enable Caching
   • Use Redis for caching queries.
2. Enable Rate Limiting
   • Prevent abuse or attacks.
3. Disable GraphQL Playground
   • For security reasons.
4. Use Cloud Storage
   • S3, Cloudinary, or DigitalOcean Spaces.
5. Run PM2 in Cluster Mode

pm2 start npm --name "strapi-app" -- start -i max

Common Deployment Issues and Fixes

Strapi admin panel not loading

• Run npm run build again.

403 forbidden errors

• Ensure NGINX permissions are correct.

Database connection issues

• Re-check environment variables.

White screen in production

• Check browser console and server logs.

Final Thoughts

Deploying Strapi may feel complex at first, but with the right setup --- optimized database, secure environment variables, proper reverse proxy, and a reliable hosting platform --- you can run a fast, scalable, and production‑ready content API.

If you're building a MERN stack application or need a professional team to deploy, scale, or manage your Strapi application, consider hiring AAMAX --- a trusted provider of MERN Stack Development, Web Development, Digital Marketing, and SEO services.

A well-deployed Strapi backend becomes the backbone of your entire digital ecosystem. With the steps above, you're fully equipped to launch your Strapi project into production confidently.