Diagnose deployment failures for Next.js

Summary

Diagnose a failed Next.js deployment on Ample. Deploy is synchronous: a failed next build returns build_failed with the deployment id, and ample logs expose the build log and then the runtime log so the cause is read, not guessed.

Infrastructure requirements

• Compute: verified (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 deployment id from a failed ample deploy
• An Ample account token with servers:read

Exact tested configuration

• template: node-22
• runtime: node
• size: s-1vcpu-1gb
• install: npm install
• build: npm run build --if-present
• start: npm run start

Steps

1. Read the failure code. Exit 1 with build_failed means next build failed in the isolated builder; exit 2 means a required preflight action is blocking.
2. Read the build log. Type errors, missing modules and memory failures show at the end of the build log.

   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build

3. Read the runtime log. A live app that does not answer usually failed to bind 0.0.0.0 on PORT; the runtime log shows it.

   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind runtime
   

4. Fix and redeploy once. Change the source, then run ample deploy again. Do not loop deploys to poll status.

Tested examples

• Intentional build failure canary (tests/deploy-canaries/node-package-no-lock (build-and-list-failure)): A failing build command is rejected synchronously and its stderr line appears in the build log.

Success checks

• build log contains the failing command output

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.
• Documentation only; no tool is executed automatically by the catalog.
• The failing-build evidence uses a generic Node fixture; Next.js-specific build failures were not separately reproduced.

Cost estimate

Unknown. No price is claimed for this recipe.

Verification evidence

• canary_run on 2026-09-19T23:55:33Z at revision 1764076-tls-account-903d345: An intentionally failing build was rejected synchronously with build_failed and the failure line was readable in the build log. (expires 2027-03-18T23:55:33Z)
• canary_run on 2026-09-19T23:55:33Z at revision 1764076-tls-account-903d345: Next.js 15 SSR app (next build, next start) deployed on node-22; the page and an API route served correctly. (expires 2027-03-18T23:55:33Z)

Last verified: 2026-09-19T23:55:33Z

Execution binding

No execution binding. This recipe is documentation only; nothing is executed automatically.

Next actions

• Browse the catalog index (GET /v1/catalog on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)
• Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints (POST /v1/catalog/search on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)
• Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project (POST /v1/catalog/plan on the api origin; auth: true, approval: false)
• Read the existing agent authentication setup (GET /mcp/setup on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)
• Browse Next.js (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-next-js on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)
• Browse Troubleshoot deployment (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Atroubleshoot-deployment on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)
• Browse Public web service (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/pattern%3Apublic-web-service on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)

Actions describe possible next steps. They are typed data, not commands, and grant no permission.