Migrating a Next.js application to the Node.js Selector in cPanel

The Node.js Selector in cPanel allows you to run Node.js applications directly from your hosting account. If you already have a Next.js application, you can migrate it to the Node.js Selector with a few adjustments to ensure compatibility.

Preparing Your Next.js Project for Migration

1. Install Node.js and npm locally

   • Make sure you have Node.js (v18.17 or higher) and npm installed on your development machine.

2. Create or use an existing Next.js project

   • If starting fresh:

     npx create-next-app@latest
     

   • If you already have a project, skip this step.

3. Create a custom server file

   • In your project root, create a file named server.js.

   • Example:

     const { createServer } = require('http');
     const { parse } = require('url');
     const next = require('next');
     
     const dev = process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production';
     const hostname = 'localhost';
     const port = 3000;
     
     const app = next({ dev, hostname, port });
     const handle = app.getRequestHandler();
     
     app.prepare().then(() => {
       createServer(async (req, res) => {
         try {
           const parsedUrl = parse(req.url, true);
           const { pathname, query } = parsedUrl;
     
           if (pathname === '/a') {
             await app.render(req, res, '/a', query);
           } else if (pathname === '/b') {
             await app.render(req, res, '/b', query);
           } else {
             await handle(req, res, parsedUrl);
           }
         } catch (err) {
           console.error('Error occurred handling', req.url, err);
           res.statusCode = 500;
           res.end('internal server error');
         }
       }).listen(port, () => {
         console.log(`Ready on http://${hostname}:${port}`);
       });
     });
     

     Update package.json

   • Replace the start script with:

     "start": "NODE_ENV=production node server.js"
     

4. Build and package the app

    

npm run build
zip -r ../nextapp.zip . --exclude ".git/*" .gitignore "node_modules/*" README.md

Migrating to cPanel

1. Upload the project

   • Log in to cPanel.

   • Use File Manager to upload nextapp.zip to your account.

   • Extract it into public_html/nextapp.

2. Create a Node.js application

   • Go to Tools → Software → Setup Node.js App.

   • Click Create Application.

   • Select the Node.js version (must be ≥ 18.17).

   • Set Application Mode to Production.

   • Set Application Root to nextapp.

   • Set Application Startup File to server.js.

   • Click Create.

3. Install dependencies

   • Click Run NPM Install in the Node.js Selector interface.

   • Wait for installation to complete.

4. Start the application

   • Click Start App.

   • Visit your domain (e.g., example.com) to confirm the Next.js app is running.