Deploy Manifest on Render

⚠️ warning This guide does not ensure persistent data for the database and the storage.

In this tutorial, We will guide you through deploying your Manifest backend on Render, a popular cloud provider.

You will set up a Manifest project, configure it for deployment, and then deploy it on Render. By the end of this tutorial, you should have your Manifest backend running on Render.

What is Manifest?

Manifest is a streamlined Backend-as-a-Service designed to accelerate your development process. With Manifest, you can define your entire backend architecture in a single, intuitive YAML file. This approach not only simplifies setup but also provides a foundation for data management, storage solutions, and business logic. By abstracting the complexities of traditional backend development, Manifest enables developers to focus on building innovative features and delivering projects more swiftly.

What is Render?

Render is a cloud provider that enables developers to ship apps without hassle. It offers scalable and easy-to-use services for deploying web applications, databases, and more.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure you have the following:

Required Knowledge:

• Basic understanding of Node.js and backend development
• Familiarity with cloud services and deployment processes

Software Requirements:

• Node.js version 18.x (LTS versions)
• npm (included with Node.js installation) or yarn as a package manager
• A Render account. If you don’t have one, sign up on the Render registration page.

Set up Manifest

If you haven't installed Manifest yet, follow these steps:

1. Install Manifest

Run the following command in your terminal from the root of your project:

npx add-manifest@latest

This will generate a manifest/backend.yml file and install the necessary dependencies.

2. Run Manifest

Before setting up for production, let’s first see how our backend behaves locally. To do that, run:

npm run manifest

Once running, you can access the Admin panel at http://localhost:1111 (admin@manifest.build / admin) and use the REST API at http://localhost:1111/api.

3. Create a "start" script for production

The npm run manifest script should only be used for development as it watches file changes.

Go back to your codebase and open the package.json file and add a new start script on the scripts list with the value node node_modules/manifest/dist/manifest/src/main.js as following:

"scripts": {
    "start": "node node_modules/manifest/dist/manifest/src/main.js"
    [...]
}

Setup render

Deploying your Manifest backend on Render is quick and easy. Follow these steps to get started.

1. Link the source provider

Log in your Render account. If you don't have an account, create one on render.com.

From the dashboard, click "Create a new web service" to get started.

In our example, we are deploying a backend on a GitHub repository, but you can also deploy from GitLab or BitBucket.

Choose the correct repository and click on "Connect" to continue.

2. Configure your app

The following screen will display a form with some fields that you have to configure:

• Region (optional): Choose the closest region to your users
• Build command: Enter npm install
• Start command: The value should be node node_modules/manifest/dist/manifest/src/main.js
• Environment variables: Add the 2 environment variables: TOKEN_SECRET_KEY (which you can generate at https://jwtsecret.com/generate) and NODE_ENV=production.

Click on "Deploy web service" to launch the deployment.

🎉 That's it! Your app should be available in a few minutes at the domain ending in onrender.com.

💡 TIP

If you want to activate health checks, go to the "Health Checks" section and replace /healthz with /api/health