Lovable deployment guide
Deploy a Lovable app to a production VPS
Short answer
A Lovable-generated app running from your GitHub repo on a hardened server, with the domain, env vars, database, backups, and handover steps documented.
Why this matters
The app looks finished, but it still depends on platform settings, hidden env vars, a temporary URL, or a database setup you do not fully control.
Walkthrough
- 01
Get the app out of builder mode
Do not start with the VPS. First make sure the app has a real repo and that you know every external service it depends on.
- Export or sync the Lovable project to GitHub.
- Write down the build command, start command, and required Node version if the repo specifies one.
- Collect Supabase URL/key, auth settings, email keys, Stripe keys, analytics keys, and any callback URLs.
- 02
Choose the deployment layer
Dokploy can be useful as a deployment panel, but it is not the production setup by itself. You still need server updates, restricted panel access, secret rotation, backups, and a recovery plan.
- Use a current patched deploy panel, or deploy with Docker Compose/systemd if the app is simple.
- Never leave the deploy panel casually exposed by IP and port after the domain is configured.
- Add environment variables in the server/deploy panel, not in the repository.
- 03
Wire domain, SSL, database, and test flows
A Lovable app is not production-ready just because the homepage loads. Test the flows that make the app useful.
- Point your domain DNS to the VPS and route it through the chosen reverse proxy or deploy panel.
- Set callback URLs in Supabase/auth/payment providers to the final domain.
- Smoke test signup, login, database writes, file uploads, emails, payments, and admin pages.
Where RepoAssistant fits
RepoAssistant moves Lovable apps from promising demo to production setup with server ownership.