How to Deploy a Next.js/Node.js Application with MongoDB on an Ubuntu VPS (AWS-EC2)

1. Prepare Your Ubuntu VPS

Before deploying the application, it is important to properly set up and secure your Ubuntu VPS (AWS-EC2).

Follow steps 1–14 from the repository (deploy-flask-postgresql-ubuntu-aws-ec2) to configure your server environment.

• These steps include updating system packages
• creating a non-root user
• configuring the firewall
• securing SSH access
• installing essential dependencies.

Completing this preparation ensures that your VPS is both stable and hardened against common security risks.

Update System

Run to ensure all packages are up to date.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Node.js and npm

Install Node.js and its package manager (npm) on your server. Using a tool like NVM (Node Version Manager) is recommended for managing Node.js versions.

# Download and install nvm:
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash

# in lieu of restarting the shell
\. "$HOME/.nvm/nvm.sh"

# Download and install Node.js:
nvm install 22

# Verify the Node.js version:
node -v # Should print "v22.18.0".
nvm current # Should print "v22.18.0".

# Verify npm version:
npm -v # Should print "10.9.3".

Install PM2

Install PM2 globally to manage your Node.js application process, ensuring it runs continuously and restarts automatically.

npm install -g pm2

Install MongoDB

Install MongoDB on your Ubuntu server. Ensure it's configured to bind to localhost for security unless you explicitly need remote access and have properly secured it.

1. Import MongoDB GPG Key

   curl -fsSL https://pgp.mongodb.com/server-7.0.asc | \
     sudo gpg -o /usr/share/keyrings/mongodb-server-7.0.gpg \
     --dearmor

2. Add MongoDB Repository

   echo "deb [ signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mongodb-server-7.0.gpg ] \
   https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs)/mongodb-org/7.0 multiverse" | \
   sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-7.0.list

3. Install MongoDB

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install -y mongodb-org

4. Start & Enable MongoDB

   sudo systemctl start mongod
   sudo systemctl enable mongod

5. Check status:

   systemctl status mongod

6. Bind MongoDB to localhost (for security)

   By default, MongoDB binds to 127.0.0.1. To confirm:

   sudo nano /etc/mongod.conf

   Find:

   net:
     bindIp: 127.0.0.1
   

   ⚠️ Only change this if you want remote access (and then use a firewall/VPN + authentication).

   Save and restart:

   sudo systemctl restart mongod

7. Verify Installation

   Open MongoDB shell:

   mongosh

   Test:

   db.runCommand({ connectionStatus: 1 })

2. Prepare Your Application

Build Next.js Application

On your local machine, build your Next.js application for production using npm run build. This generates the optimized static assets and server-side code.

Clone Repository

On your VPS, clone your application's Git repository to a suitable directory (e.g., /var/www/your-app-name).

mkdir -p /var/www/
cd /var/www/
sudo git clone https://<Personal Access Token (PAT)>@github.com/Project-Buck/R3_Diagnostics_Website.git myapp
cd myapp

You should give your system user (e.g., "grader" or your actual username) ownership of the project directory

sudo chown -R grader:grader /var/www/myapp

Install Dependencies

Navigate to your application's directory on the VPS and install the Node.js dependencies using npm install.

1. Navigate to your project directory

   cd /var/www/myapp

2. Install dependencies (if not installed yet)

   npm install

3. Run the production build

   npm run build

   This command creates an optimized .next/ folder containing:

   • Static assets → for client-side usage.
   • Server-side code → for server rendering (if you’re not using static export).
   • Optimized JavaScript & CSS.

4. Start the production server (locally test)

   npm run start

⚡ At this stage, your app is ready for deployment

Configure Environment Variables

Set up environment variables for your application, including your MongoDB connection string and any other necessary configurations. This can be done using a .env file or by setting them in your PM2 configuration.

1. Inside your project root, create a .env file:

   nano .env

2. Add your environment variables:

   MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/myapp
   PORT=3000
   NODE_ENV=production
   SECRET_KEY=mySuperSecretKey
   

3. In Next.js, only environment variables prefixed with NEXT_PUBLIC_ are exposed to the browser; all other variables remain server-side:

   NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://mydomain.com/api
   NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL=http://mydomain.com
   

4. Restart your app so the .env is loaded:

   cd /var/www/myapp
   rm -rf .next
   npm run build
   npm run start

3. Configure Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

Install Nginx

Install Nginx on your VPS using sudo apt install nginx.

• Here’s how you can install Nginx on your Ubuntu VPS:

  # Update package lists
  sudo apt update
  
  # Install Nginx
  sudo apt install nginx -y
  
  # Enable Nginx to start on boot
  sudo systemctl enable nginx
  
  # Start Nginx service
  sudo systemctl start nginx
  
  # Check Nginx status
  sudo systemctl status nginx

  ✅ After installation, open your browser and go to your server’s IP address (e.g., http://your_server_ip). You should see the default “Welcome to Nginx” page.

Create Nginx Configuration

Create a new Nginx configuration file for your application (e.g., in /etc/nginx/sites-available/your-app-name) and configure it to act as a reverse proxy, forwarding requests to your Next.js/Node.js application running on a specific port (e.g., 3000 or 8080).

1. Create a new configuration file

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

2. Add the following configuration

   Replace your_domain.com with your actual domain name or server IP, and 3000 with the port your app is running on:

   server {
       listen 80;
       server_name your_domain.com;
   
       location / {
           proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
           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;
       }
   }
   

3. Clear old build & rebuild

   cd /var/www/myapp
   rm -rf .next
   npm run build
   npm run start

Enable Nginx Configuration

Create a symbolic link from your configuration file in sites-available to sites-enabled.

• Link the file from sites-available to sites-enabled:

  # Go to Nginx config directory
  cd /etc/nginx/sites-available/
  
  # Create a symbolic link
  sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/myapp /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Test and Reload Nginx

Test your Nginx configuration with sudo nginx -t and reload Nginx with sudo systemctl reload nginx.

• Test the configuration (to ensure there are no syntax errors):

  sudo nginx -t

• If the test is successful, reload Nginx:

  sudo systemctl reload nginx

✅ Now, Nginx will forward all requests coming to your_domain.com to your Next.js app running on port 3000.

4. Start and Manage Your Application with PM2

• From your application's directory, start your Next.js/Node.js application using PM2 (e.g., pm2 start npm --name "your-app-name" -- run start).

  1. Navigate to your app’s directory

     cd /var/www/myapp

  2. Start the app with PM2

     Run this command (replace your-app-name with your app name and in my case is myapp):

     pm2 start npm --name "myapp" -- run start

     Explanation:

     • pm2 start npm→ tells PM2 to run an npm command.
     • --name "myapp" → gives your process a readable name in PM2.
     • -- run start → executes your "start" script from package.json (usually next start).

• Save PM2 Process List: Use pm2 save to save the current process list, ensuring PM2 restarts your application automatically after a server reboot.

  1. Check if the app is running

     pm2 list

  2. View logs if needed

     pm2 logs myapp

  3. Keep app running after reboot

     pm2 save

• Enable PM2 Startup: Configure PM2 to start on system boot using the following command:

  pm2 startup systemd

  1. To setup the Startup Script, copy/paste the following command:

     You will get this command after running the above command according to your OS

     sudo env PATH=$PATH:/home/grader/.nvm/versions/node/v22.18.0/bin /home/grader/.nvm/versions/node/v22.18.0/lib/node_modules/pm2/bin/pm2 startup systemd -u grader --hp /home/grader

5. Secure Your Application with HTTPS (SSL Certificate)

Step 1: Install Certbot

• Install Certbot to easily obtain and manage SSL certificates. It is the official tool for acquiring Let’s Encrypt certificates and automatically configuring Nginx.

  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y

Step 2: Ensure Nginx is properly configured

• Use Certbot to obtain an SSL certificate for your domain and configure Nginx to use it.

  sudo certbot --nginx -d your_domain.com -d www.your_domain.com

  • Follow prompts:
    • Enter email (for renewal notices)
    • Agree to terms
    • Certbot will automatically configure Nginx for HTTPS

Step 3: Automatic renewal

• Configure Certbot to automatically renew your SSL certificates. Let’s Encrypt certificates are valid for 90 days. Certbot can auto-renew:

  sudo systemctl status certbot.timer

• Or test renewal manually:

  sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Step 4: Update the Nginx configuration for HTTP → HTTPS

• Edit your Nginx server block:

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

• Replace old with this configuration:

  # Redirect all HTTP requests to HTTPS
  server {
      listen 80;
      server_name your_domain.com www.your_domain.com;
  
      location / {
          return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
      }
  }
  
  # HTTPS server block
  server {
      listen 443 ssl;
      server_name your_domain.com www.your_domain.com;
  
      ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/your_domain.com/fullchain.pem;
      ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/your_domain.com/privkey.pem;
      include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-nginx.conf;
      ssl_dhparam /etc/letsencrypt/ssl-dhparams.pem;
  
      location / {
          proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
          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;
      }
  }

  ✅ Make sure to replace your_domain.com with your actual domain name.

Step 5: Check and Enable Nginx Configuration Again

# Disable the default site
sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default
sudo unlink /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default

# Ensure your site config is enabled
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/myapp /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

# Test Nginx configuration
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Step 6: Clear build and cache

# Clear Next.js build and cache
cd /var/www/myapp/
rm -rf .next
rm -rf node_modules
npm install

# Rebuild Next.js
npm run build

# Stop PM2 completely
pm2 stop myapp
pm2 delete myapp

# Start fresh with PM2
pm2 start npm --name "myapp" -- run start
pm2 save

# Reload Nginx:
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

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By following these steps, you can successfully deploy your Next.js and Node.js application with MongoDB on an Ubuntu VPS, ensuring it's accessible, secure, and running reliably.

📜 License

deploy-nextjs-nodejs-mongodb-ubuntu-aws-ec2 is Copyright ©️ 2025 Kashif Iqbal. It is free, and may be redistributed under the terms specified in the LICENSE file.