Configure Build and Start for Express

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.

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

Tested Configuration

• Template: node-22
• Runtime: node
• Size: s-1vcpu-1gb
• Install: npm install
• Build: echo no build needed
• Start: npm run start

Workflow Steps

1. Pin what detection cannot infer
   If the start command is not in package.json, pass --start, or write it into ample.toml with ample plan --write.

2. Deploy
   Run the existing synchronous deploy once from the project directory and read the result. Exit 0 is live, 1 is failed, 2 is blocked on a required preflight action. Re-running with no change is a content-addressed no-op.
   Command: ample deploy . --name --public --format json

3. Verify
   Fetch the live URL and run the success checks below. On failure read the build log, then the runtime log, fix the cause and deploy again; do not blind-retry.
   Command: ample logs --kind build

Success Checks

• 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.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 5.0
• Basis: size prices from pricing.toml (loaded by the API) at build revision 1ac5595375130d45290090e82ed0f554ccd45405-dirty
• Components:
  • Name: app server
  • Size: s-1vcpu-1gb
  • Quantity: 1.0
  • Monthly Amount: 5.0

Note: Apps and managed databases auto-pause when idle; the estimate is the always-on monthly price of the tested sizes. Plan quotas and budgets apply.

Examples

• Express basic canary
  Minimal Express server deployed with the detected npm install / npm run start commands.
  Source Ref: tests/deploy-canaries/express-basic

Evidence Summary

• Kind: canary_run
• Summary: Express app with npm install and npm run start deployed on the node-22 template; the public URL served the expected response.
• Observed At: 2026-09-19T23:55:33Z
• Implementation Revision: 1764076-tls-account-903d345
• Expires At: 2027-03-18T23:55:33Z
• Scope:
  • CLI Version: 0.1.20
  • Platform: hosted-beta
  • Template: node-22

Last Verified At

2026-09-19T23:55:33Z

Unknowns

• Region availability is unknown until a verified region fact is recorded.
• Compliance attestations are unknown; none are claimed.