page:recipes:digital downloads:next js:product media

Host digital downloads with Next.js: public product media

Deploy a digital downloads built with Next.js on Ample using the public media library pattern. Compute runs the app in an isolated microVM behind a public HTTPS URL, a managed PostgreSQL 16 database is auto-provisioned and injected as DATABASE_URL, a private S3-compatible bucket holds objects with credentials delivered as encrypted environment variables, and a published bucket serves public assets from the CDN host. Verified on Next.js: an object written to a published bucket with an immutable Cache-Control header, a mapping row, and the CDN URL serving it publicly. Not separately tested: your media processing, object layout and cache policy; treat the digital downloads-specific behavior as your application code.

Representative Queries

Host digital downloads with Next.js: public product media
Where can I host Digital downloads built with Next.js?
I need product-to-object mappings and a tested public media delivery path.

Resource Requirements

primitive:compute
primitive:postgres
primitive:s3-compatible-object-storage
primitive:cdn

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.
Postgres
Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.
S3-compatible object storage
Buckets are S3-compatible with issued credentials; PutObject and GetObject are verified by canary. Other S3 operations are not verified.
CDN
The CDN host serves objects from published buckets. It does not front app compute and is not a cache or key-value store.

Prerequisites

A Next.js project that builds and starts with the documented commands (next build then next start -H 0.0.0.0 -p $PORT on the node-22 template)
A PostgreSQL driver reading DATABASE_URL at runtime (auto-provisioned when omitted, or supplied with --env)
A bucket from ample bucket create with its credentials passed as encrypted S3_* environment variables and a second, published bucket for public assets (CDN_*)
An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read, buckets:read

Workflow Steps

Build and start
next build then next start -H 0.0.0.0 -p $PORT on the node-22 template. The server must bind 0.0.0.0 on PORT.
Implement the pattern on PostgreSQL
The fixture's module implements public media library: an object written to a published bucket with an immutable Cache-Control header, a mapping row, and the CDN URL serving it publicly. Copy the approach into your schema; keep migrations idempotent and run them with --release-command.
Wire object storage
Create the bucket(s), then pass endpoint, region, bucket and keys as --env values. Use path-style addressing. Keep private data in an unpublished bucket. Publish only the bucket that serves public assets and reference its CDN URL.

Deploy
Run the synchronous deploy once and read the result (exit 0 live, 1 failed, 2 blocked). Re-running with no change is a no-op.

ample deploy . --name  --public --env S3_ENDPOINT=... --env S3_REGION=... --env S3_BUCKET=... --env S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=... --env S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=... --env CDN_PUBLIC_URL=...

Verify
Fetch the live URL and the pattern self-test route(s) (/p/public-media-library) from the example; then run your own checks. On failure read ample logs --kind build then --kind runtime.
```
ample logs  --kind build
```

Examples

Next.js pattern fixture
Multi-pattern Next.js app whose public media library module was checked live; the module is under tests/deploy-canaries/_pattern-modules.

Success Checks

app responds on its public URL
- kind: http_get
- path: /
- expect: ample canary next js patterns
public-media-library self-test
- kind: http_get
- path: /p/public-media-library
- expect: a CDN URL whose content is served publicly

Limitations

Verified on the node-22 template at s-1vcpu-1gb with the example fixture; other sizes, templates and Next.js major versions are not verified.
The digital downloads itself (your media processing, object layout and cache policy) is application code and was not separately tested; the pattern checks are what was verified.

Cost Estimate

Monthly Amount: $10.00 USD
Components:
- App server (size: s-1vcpu-1gb) - $5.00
- Managed PostgreSQL database (size: s-1vcpu-1gb) - $5.00
Note: Always-on monthly price of the tested sizes; apps and databases auto-pause when idle.

Evidence Summary

Next.js pattern fixture deployed on Ample; checks passed for public-media-library and configuration-secrets. Pattern proof: an object written to a published bucket with an immutable Cache-Control header, a mapping row, and the CDN URL serving it publicly.
- observedAt: 2026-09-21T02:34:39Z
The same Next.js app deployed with a --release-command migration.
- observedAt: 2026-09-20T01:54:51Z