# Deployment

> Deploy your SaaS application to any hosting platform.

*Canonical: https://makerkit.dev/docs/tanstack-drizzle/going-to-production/deployment*

---

This guide covers the general steps to deploy your application to any hosting platform that can run a Node.js server. TanStack Start builds a server bundle (via Vite + Nitro) that you run with Node.

## Deployment Overview

Deploying your application involves these key steps:

1. **Provision infrastructure** - Database, storage, and hosting
2. **Configure environment variables** - Set production credentials
3. **Deploy the application** - Push code to your hosting platform
4. **Run database migrations** - Set up your database schema
5. **Configure webhooks** - Connect your billing provider

## Infrastructure Requirements

Your production environment needs:

| Component | Purpose | Options |
|-----------|---------|---------|
| **Hosting** | Run your TanStack Start app | Railway, AWS, Fly.io, any Node host |
| **Database** | PostgreSQL database | Neon, PlanetScale, Supabase, Railway |
| **Storage** | File uploads | AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, Railway Storage |
| **Email** | Transactional emails | Resend, Postmark, SendGrid |

## Environment Variables

Every hosting platform requires you to set environment variables. Copy these from your [Environment Setup](./environment-setup):

### Core Variables

```bash
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...
VITE_SITE_URL=https://your-domain.com
VITE_BILLING_PROVIDER=stripe
```

{% callout title="Public values are inlined at build time" %}
`VITE_*` variables are inlined into the bundle during `pnpm build`. Make sure they are present in the build environment, not only at runtime.
{% /callout %}

### Storage Variables

```bash
STORAGE_BASE_URL=https://...
STORAGE_S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=...
STORAGE_S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=...
STORAGE_S3_BUCKET=...
STORAGE_S3_REGION=...
```

### Billing Variables

**For Stripe:**
```bash
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_live_...
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_...
```

**For Polar:**
```bash
POLAR_ACCESS_TOKEN=...
```

{% alert type="default" title="Additional Environment Variables" %}
If you configured additional settings during development (OAuth providers, email, feature flags, etc.), make sure to add those environment variables to your production environment as well. Refer to the [Environment Setup](./environment-setup) guide for the complete list.
{% /alert %}

## Build Configuration

For the monorepo structure, configure your hosting platform:

- **Root Directory**: `apps/web`
- **Install Command**: `pnpm install`
- **Build Command**: `pnpm build` (or `pnpm --filter web build`)
- **Output Directory**: `apps/web/.output` (Nitro server build)
- **Start Command**: `node apps/web/.output/server/index.mjs` (from `apps/web`: `pnpm start`)

## Database Migrations

After your first deployment, run [Drizzle](/drizzle) migrations to create the database schema:

```bash
read -s DATABASE_URL && export DATABASE_URL && pnpm --filter "@kit/database" drizzle:migrate
```

This command:
1. Prompts for your `DATABASE_URL` (hidden input)
2. Exports it as an environment variable
3. Runs the Drizzle migration

## Post-Deployment Checklist

After deploying:

- [ ] Application loads without errors
- [ ] Database connection works
- [ ] Authentication flows work (sign up, sign in)
- [ ] Billing webhooks receive events
- [ ] File uploads work
- [ ] Emails send successfully

## Platform Guides

For step-by-step instructions on specific platforms:

- **[Railway](./railway)** - All-in-one platform with built-in database and storage