How to Deploy Your First Node.js Application on AWS EC2 (Step-by-Step Guide)

Deploying your first Node.js app on AWS can feel overwhelming. But once you understand the steps, it’s straightforward. In this guide, we’ll go through the exact process of launching a Node.js application on AWS EC2, making it publicly accessible, and keeping it running in production.

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1️⃣ Launch an EC2 Instance

1. Log in to your AWS Console.

2. Navigate to EC2 → Launch Instance.

3. Choose Ubuntu as your OS.

4. Select instance type (e.g., t2.micro for free tier).

5. Create or use an existing key pair (download .pem file).

6. Configure Security Group rules:

   • SSH (22) → Your IP

   • HTTP (80) → Anywhere

   • Custom TCP (3000) → Anywhere (for testing Node.js directly)

Click Launch Instance.

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2️⃣ Connect to Your Instance

From your local terminal:

chmod 400 key.pem
ssh -i key.pem ubuntu@<EC2_Public_IP>

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3️⃣ Install Node.js and Git

Inside your EC2 instance:

sudo apt update -y
sudo apt install -y nodejs npm git

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4️⃣ Clone Your App and Setup Environment Variables

1. Clone your repository:

    git clone <your_repo_url>
    cd <project_folder>
    npm install
   

2. Create a .env file if your app requires API keys (Stripe, DB, etc.):

    nano .env
   

   Example:

    PORT=3000
    STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_1234567890
    DATABASE_URL=mongodb+srv://user:password@cluster/db
   

3. Load .env variables in your app using dotenv:

    npm install dotenv
   

    require('dotenv').config();
    const express = require('express');
    const app = express();
   
    const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
   
    app.listen(PORT, '0.0.0.0', () => {
      console.log(`Server running on port ${PORT}`);
    });
   

4. Add .env to .gitignore:

    .env
   

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5️⃣ Run the Application

npm start

Check your app in the browser:

http://<EC2_Public_IP>:3000

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6️⃣ Keep the App Running with PM2

Instead of running npm start manually, use PM2 to keep your app alive:

sudo npm install -g pm2
pm2 start app.js
pm2 startup

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7️⃣ (Optional) Use Nginx for Port 80

By default, Node.js apps run on :3000. To access via http://<EC2_IP> without the port:

1. Install Nginx:

    sudo apt install -y nginx
   

2. Configure reverse proxy:

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

   Inside server { ... } add:

    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;
    }
   

3. Restart Nginx:

    sudo systemctl restart nginx
   

Now your app is live at:

http://<EC2_Public_IP>

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8️⃣ Final Step: Configure Inbound Rules

Go to your EC2 → Security Groups → Inbound Rules and make sure you have:

• SSH (22) → Your IP

• HTTP (80) → Anywhere

• Custom TCP (3000) → Anywhere (optional if using Nginx)

✅ This ensures your app is publicly accessible.

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🎉 Conclusion

You’ve just deployed your first Node.js app on AWS EC2! 🚀
Here’s what you achieved:

• Launched an EC2 instance

• Installed Node.js and Git

• Set up environment variables securely

• Ran and kept your app alive with PM2

• Configured Nginx for production-ready access

• Opened inbound rules for public access

From here, you can:

• Attach a domain name via Route 53

• Add SSL certificates (HTTPS) with Let’s Encrypt

• Automate deployments with CI/CD pipelines

Your first step into cloud deployment is complete. 👏