Configure Build and Start for Next.js

Summary

Configure build and start for a Next.js app on Ample. A server-rendered app runs next build then next start on the node-22 template with the detected package manager; a static export is published as a static site. The app must bind 0.0.0.0 on PORT.

Prerequisites

• A package.json with build and start scripts (next build, next start -H 0.0.0.0 -p ${PORT:-3000})
• Node 22 compatible dependencies
• An Ample account token with servers:write

Tested Configuration

• Template: node-22
• Runtime: node
• Size: s-1vcpu-1gb
• Install Command: npm install
• Build Command: npm run build --if-present
• Start Command: npm run start

Workflow Steps

1. Make next start listen correctly
   Use next start -H 0.0.0.0 -p ${PORT:-3000} so the health check reaches the server.
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. Static exports
   With output: 'export', the build is published as a static site with correct 404 handling; no server process runs.
4. 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

• Page renders
  Kind: http_get
  Path: /
  Expect: ample canary next basic ssr
• API route stays a Next route
  Kind: http_get
  Path: /api/canary
  Expect: next api stays next

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.
• Next.js 15 was tested; other majors are not verified.
• Image optimization, ISR, and middleware behavior are not verified.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• 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.