How to Deploy Next.js Application in Linux Ubuntu Server and Connect to Your Custom Domain

Learn how to deploy a Next.js application on a Linux Ubuntu server and connect it to your custom domain. This guide covers server setup, app deployment, Nginx reverse proxy, SSL (HTTPS), and DNS configuration.

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu server (cloud VM or physical)
• Root or sudo access
• A registered custom domain (e.g., example.com)
• Next.js app ready to deploy (local or Git repo)

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Step 1: Connect to Your Linux Ubuntu Server

Open your terminal on your local machine. If you are on Windows, you can use Command Prompt or PowerShell, or a terminal emulator like Git Bash. If you are on macOS or Linux, you can use the built-in terminal.

Use SSH to connect to your server. Replace username and server_ip with your actual server username and IP address:

Local Machine Terminal

ssh username@server_ip

If you use a custom SSH port, add the -p flag:

Local Machine Terminal

ssh -p 3333 username@server_ip

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Step 2: Update Your Server

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 3: Install Node.js and npm

At the time of writing, the latest LTS version is Node.js 22.17.0. Install Node.js (LTS recommended):

# Download and install nvm:
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash

# in lieu of restarting the shell
\. "$HOME/.nvm/nvm.sh"

# Download and install Node.js:
nvm install 22

# Verify the Node.js version:
node -v # Should print "v22.17.0".
nvm current # Should print "v22.17.0".

# Verify npm version:
npm -v # Should print "10.9.2".

Verify installation:

Step 4: Clone or Upload Your Next.js App

Clone from GitHub (replace with your repo):

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/your-nextjs-app.git
cd your-nextjs-app

Step 5: Install Dependencies and Build

npm install
npm run build

Step 6: Start the Next.js App (Production)

For production, use npm start or yarn start:

npm start

Or use PM2 to keep the app running in the background:

npm install -g pm2
pm2 start npm --name "nextjs-app" -- start
pm2 startup
pm2 save

Step 7: Install and Configure Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

Install Nginx:

sudo apt install nginx -y

Configure Nginx to proxy requests to your Next.js app (default port 3000):

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/nextjs

Paste the following (replace yourdomain.com):

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
    }
}

Enable the config and restart Nginx:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/nextjs /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 8: Configure Your Domain's DNS

• Go to your domain registrar's DNS settings.
• Create an A record pointing your domain (e.g., @ and www) to your server's public IP address.
• Wait for DNS propagation (can take up to 24 hours, usually much faster).

Step 9: Secure with SSL (HTTPS) Using Let's Encrypt

Install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y

Obtain and install SSL certificate:

sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com

Follow prompts to complete SSL setup. Certbot will auto-renew certificates.

Step 10: Test Everything

• Visit https://yourdomain.com in your browser.
• Your Next.js app should load securely with HTTPS.
• Check Nginx and PM2 status if you encounter issues:

sudo systemctl status nginx
pm2 status

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Troubleshooting

• App not loading? Check that your app is running (pm2 status or npm start).
• Nginx errors? Run sudo nginx -t to check config syntax.
• SSL issues? Ensure DNS is pointed correctly and port 80/443 are open.
• Firewall: Allow HTTP/HTTPS traffic:

sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'

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Conclusion

You have successfully deployed a Next.js application on a Linux Ubuntu server and connected it to your custom domain with HTTPS. For production, always use a process manager (like PM2), keep your server updated, and monitor logs for issues.

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Video Tutorial

Coming soon!