These don't currently work on Windows due to a software incompatability. The Heroku toolbelt is not compatible with Git Bash - you will need to use CMD instead.
We recommend using Heroku to get your prototype online. It’s simple and fast to deploy new versions as you work.
Once your prototype is on Heroku, other people will be able to access and try your prototype from their own computers or mobile devices.
DO NOT enter real user data in to prototypes hosted on Heroku. If your prototype stores or collects user data, talk to a security professional about appropriate security steps you must take.
A prototype deployed on Heroku is called an app - it will have a url like:
your-prototype.herokuapp.com.
You can have multiple apps running on Heroku - projects often have several so they can try different ideas out at once.
If you’re new to Heroku, sign up for a free account. When asked what language you use, select node.js.
Install the Heroku toolbelt.
The toolbelt lets you use Heroku through the terminal. You will need to restart the terminal after installing the toolbelt.
Pick a name for your app. You need to choose a name that's unique. The name is used in the url for your prototype. For example:
govuk-payments-prototype will create an app at:
govuk-payments-prototype.herokuapp.com.
You need to create an app on Heroku for each prototype you want to put on the web.
In the folder of your prototype, run:
heroku apps:create [NAME OF YOUR APP] --region eu
Replace [name of your app] with what you want to call your prototype.
By default, prototypes made with the kit require a username and password to be used when deployed on Heroku.
Authentication is a good way to stop members of the public coming across your prototype by accident.
heroku config:set USERNAME=username_here
heroku config:set PASSWORD=password_here
If you want your prototype to be accessible on the web without needing a username and password, you can disable authentication.
heroku config:set USE_AUTH=false
Make sure any changes you've made to your prototype have been committed to git.
From your prototype folder:
git push heroku master
This will push your work to Heroku. Deploying may take a minute or so.
After your work is deployed, you will be able to view it on the web by visiting [name].herokuapp.com.
You can run heroku open to open your prototype in a browser.
Heroku puts apps to sleep that haven’t been accessed in a while - so if you’ve not visited your prototype for a while it may take a few seconds to open.