{"catalogRevision":"cat_f13ab9a494120b5e","recipeId":"page:guides:express:build-and-start","recipeRevision":"r1","canonicalPath":"/guides/express/build-and-start","label":"Configure build and start for Express","family":"Framework operation","summary":"Configure build and start for an Express app on Ample. Ample detects Node, runs npm install and npm run build --if-present, and starts the app with npm run start on the node-22 template; the app only has to bind 0.0.0.0 on PORT.","representativeQueries":["Configure build and start for Express","Where can I host Configure build and start built with Express?","I need pinned build/start commands, port binding and a tested process lifecycle."],"breadcrumbIds":["discovery","stack","stack:frameworks","stack:framework-express","page:guides:express:build-and-start"],"breadcrumbs":[{"id":"discovery","label":"Agent hosting discovery","canonicalPath":"/discover/discovery","kind":"root"},{"id":"stack","label":"Frameworks and execution targets","canonicalPath":"/discover/stack","kind":"facet"},{"id":"stack:frameworks","label":"Frameworks","canonicalPath":"/discover/stack/frameworks","kind":"group"},{"id":"stack:framework-express","label":"Express","canonicalPath":"/discover/stack/framework-express","kind":"atom"},{"id":"page:guides:express:build-and-start","label":"Configure build and start for Express","canonicalPath":"/guides/express/build-and-start","kind":"recipe"}],"parentIds":["stack:framework-express","intent:configure-deployment","pattern:public-web-service"],"parents":[{"id":"stack:framework-express","label":"Express","canonicalPath":"/discover/stack/framework-express","kind":"atom"},{"id":"intent:configure-deployment","label":"Configure deployment","canonicalPath":"/discover/intent/configure-deployment","kind":"atom"},{"id":"pattern:public-web-service","label":"Public web service","canonicalPath":"/discover/pattern/public-web-service","kind":"atom"}],"resourceRequirements":["primitive:compute"],"infrastructureRequirements":[{"primitiveId":"primitive:compute","label":"Compute","canonicalPath":"/discover/primitive/compute","status":"verified","summary":"Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes."}],"framework":"Express","workload":"Configure build and start","releaseStatus":"published","supportStatus":"verified","executionStatus":"ready","docsOnly":false,"prerequisites":["A package.json with a start script","A server that listens on process.env.PORT and 0.0.0.0","An Ample account token with servers:write"],"testedConfiguration":{"template":"node-22","runtime":"node","size":"s-1vcpu-1gb","install":"npm install","build":"echo no build needed","start":"npm run start"},"inputSchema":{"additionalProperties":false,"properties":{"name":{"description":"App name (lowercase, digits and dashes)","maxLength":63,"minLength":1,"pattern":"^[a-z0-9-]+$","type":"string"},"path":{"description":"Project directory to deploy, or one service name from ample.toml","maxLength":512,"minLength":1,"type":"string"},"size":{"description":"VM size; omit to let Ample pick a runtime-safe size","enum":["s-1vcpu-256mb","s-1vcpu-1gb","s-1vcpu-2gb","s-2vcpu-2gb","s-2vcpu-4gb"],"type":"string"},"start":{"description":"Start command override when package.json has no start script","maxLength":512,"type":"string"}},"required":["name","path"],"type":"object"},"outputSchema":null,"workflowSteps":[{"title":"Pin what detection cannot infer","body":"If the start command is not in package.json, pass --start, or write it into ample.toml with ample plan --write."},{"title":"Deploy","body":"Run the existing synchronous deploy once from the project directory and read the result. 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On failure read the build log, then the runtime log, fix the cause and deploy again; do not blind-retry.","command":"ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build"}],"examples":[{"title":"Express basic canary","description":"Minimal Express server deployed with the detected npm install / npm run start commands.","sourceRef":"tests/deploy-canaries/express-basic"}],"successChecks":[{"description":"root route responds","kind":"http_get","path":"/","expect":"ample canary express basic"}],"limitations":["Verified on the node-22 template at s-1vcpu-1gb; other templates and sizes are not verified by this recipe.","Region, compliance attestations and request-duration limits are unknown and not claimed.","Apps auto-pause when idle and wake on the next request; always-on is an operator setting, not a plan feature.","A missing package-lock.json produces a warning and a slower, non-reproducible install."],"costEstimate":{"currency":"USD","monthlyAmount":5.0,"authoritative":true,"basis":"size prices from pricing.toml (loaded by the API) at build revision 752d2a7584688a5d233b2c53d38307d289b04d3e","components":[{"name":"app server","size":"s-1vcpu-1gb","quantity":1.0,"monthlyAmount":5.0}],"note":"Apps and managed databases auto-pause when idle; the estimate is the always-on monthly price of the tested sizes. 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