Deploy a Node.js application
Run a Node.js app alongside or instead of PHP, started automatically and proxied by the web server at a path you choose.
WordPress Cloud can run a Node.js application in the same container as your website, with the web server forwarding traffic to it. Applies to all WordPress Cloud packages.
Go to Advanced → Node.js.
Select Deploy app.
Choose how it starts
Automatic (Production) — the platform starts your application and restarts it if it exits. Use this for anything live.
Manual (Development) — the application is proxied but not started for you. Initialise the Node environment yourself over SSH:
/usr/bin/install_nvm_and_node.shThen start the process when you want it. Useful while you are iterating, because the platform will not restart a process you deliberately stopped.
Configure it
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Node version | stable by default; pin a specific version if your app needs one |
| Startup command | For example npm start |
| Working directory | The directory to change into first. Leave blank for the home directory |
Configure the proxy
Proxy enabled is on by default, and forwards traffic from your primary domain to the application.
- Path — leave blank to proxy the whole site, or enter a path such as
apito proxy onlyexample.com/api. Leave it blank only if Node is serving everything; on a site that also runs WordPress, use a path. - Port —
3000by default. Your application must listen on0.0.0.0on this port, not on127.0.0.1, or the proxy cannot reach it. - Allow web socket proxy upgrade — tick this if your application uses WebSockets. Without it, the upgrade request is not passed through and the connection silently falls back or fails.
Select Deploy.
Verify
- The path you proxied returns your application rather than a 502.
- Restarting the container leaves the application running, if you chose Automatic.
- WebSocket features connect, if you enabled the upgrade.