Production rescue guide

Your app works locally but breaks in production

Walkthrough

1. 01

   Compare local and production environments

   Find what your machine has that the server does not.

   • Check Node, npm, and OS version differences.
   • List all environment variables set locally but absent on the server.
   • Identify hardcoded file paths that only work on your machine.
2. 02

   Fix the server environment

   Replicate the local environment on the production server.

   • Install the same Node version and package manager.
   • Add all missing environment variables to the server.
   • Replace hardcoded paths with relative or configurable paths.
3. 03

   Deploy and verify

   Build on the server, start the process, and test every integration.

   • Run a clean production build on the server.
   • Start the app as a managed process with auto-restart.
   • Test signup, database writes, file uploads, and external API calls.