page:guides:react router:build and start

Configure Build and Start for React Router

Configure build and start for a React Router app on Ample. React Router 7 framework mode: react-router build then react-router-serve ./build/server/index.js, which reads PORT. Ample detects the runtime, installs dependencies, runs the build when present and starts the app on the node-22 template behind a public HTTPS URL.

Representative Queries

• Configure build and start for React Router
• Where can I host Configure build and start built with React Router?
• I need pinned build/start commands, port binding and a tested process lifecycle.

Infrastructure Requirements

• Compute: Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.

Prerequisites

• A package.json with build and start scripts
• 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 Command: npm install
• Build Command: npm run build --if-present
• Start Command: npm run start

Workflow Steps

1. Make the start command bind correctly: React Router 7 framework mode: react-router build then react-router-serve ./build/server/index.js, which reads PORT.
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 <app-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 <app-name> --kind build

Examples

• react-router-basic canary: React Router 7 framework-mode app.
• remix-basic canary: Remix 2 app (React Router-based) with remix-serve.

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.
• React Router 7 framework mode and Remix 2 were tested; SPA mode and other servers are not verified.

Cost Estimate

• Monthly Amount: $5.00 USD
  • Basis: Size prices from pricing.toml (loaded by the API) at build revision 1ac5595375130d45290090e82ed0f554ccd45405-dirty
  • Components: 1 app server of size s-1vcpu-1gb.
  • 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.

Success Checks

• Description: Page or root route responds
  • Kind: http_get
  • Path: /
  • Expect: ample canary react router basic

Evidence Summary

• Canary Run: React Router 7 framework-mode app (react-router build, react-router-serve) deployed on node-22 and rendered the expected page.
• Canary Run: Remix 2 app (remix vite:build, remix-serve) deployed on node-22 and rendered the expected page.