page:recipes:subscription content:next js:download delivery

Host subscription content with Next.js: authorized file delivery

Deploy subscription content built with Next.js on Ample using the generated downloads 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. Verified on Next.js: an export query rendered to a CSV artifact stored with metadata in a private bucket and returned only to an authorized caller (401 without token, export=ok rows=3). Not separately tested: your export formats, retention policy and entitlement model; treat the subscription content-specific behavior as your application code.

Representative Queries

• Host subscription content with Next.js: authorized file delivery
• Where can I host Subscription content built with Next.js?
• I need a file entitlement model and an application-enforced download authorization flow.

Resource Requirements

• Primitive Compute
• Primitive PostgreSQL
• Primitive S3-compatible object storage

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.

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
• An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read, buckets:read

Workflow Steps

1. Build and start
   Run: 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.

2. Implement the pattern on PostgreSQL
   The fixture's module implements generated downloads: an export query rendered to a CSV artifact stored with metadata in a private bucket and returned only to an authorized caller (401 without token, export=ok rows=3). Copy the approach into your schema; keep migrations idempotent and run them with --release-command.

3. 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.

4. 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.
   Command: ample deploy . --name --public --env S3_ENDPOINT=... --env S3_REGION=... --env S3_BUCKET=... --env S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=... --env S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=...

5. Verify
   Fetch the live URL and the pattern self-test route(s) (/p/generated-downloads) from the example; then run your own checks. On failure read ample logs --kind build then --kind runtime.
   Command: ample logs --kind build

Success Checks

• App responds on its public URL
• Generated-downloads self-test

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 subscription content itself (your export formats, retention policy and entitlement model) is application code and was not separately tested; the pattern checks are what was verified.
• 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.

Cost Estimate

• Currency: USD
• Monthly Amount: 10.0
• Basis: size prices from pricing.toml (loaded by the API).
• Components:
  • App server (s-1vcpu-1gb): 5.0
  • Managed PostgreSQL database (s-1vcpu-1gb): 5.0
• Note: Buckets are allocation-priced per quota and not included.

Evidence Summary

1. Next.js pattern fixture deployed on Ample; checks passed for generated-downloads and configuration-secrets.
2. The same Next.js app deployed with a --release-command migration; the marker it created was readable after activation.

Formats

• HTML: Link
• Markdown: Link
• JSON: Link