How to Deploy Next.js to Railway

Railway is a modern cloud platform that makes deploying web applications incredibly simple. Unlike traditional cloud providers that require extensive configuration, Railway offers a streamlined experience that gets your Next.js app live in minutes. It supports both static and server-rendered Next.js applications out of the box. For founders who have built their MVP with AI tools and need reliable hosting, Railway is an excellent choice.

Before deploying, make sure your Next.js project is pushed to a GitHub repository. You will also need a Railway account, which you can create for free at railway.app. Ensure your project builds successfully by running `npm run build` locally. If you encounter build errors, those need to be fixed before deployment since Railway will run the same build command.

Log into Railway and click 'New Project'. Select 'Deploy from GitHub repo' and authorize Railway to access your repository. Railway will automatically detect that your project is a Next.js application and configure the build settings accordingly. You can also set your environment variables in the Railway dashboard under the 'Variables' tab. This is where you would add your database URLs, API keys, and other secrets.

Environment variables are critical for any production deployment. In Railway's dashboard, navigate to your service and click the 'Variables' tab. Add all the environment variables your app needs such as database connection strings, third-party API keys, and authentication secrets. Never hard-code sensitive values in your source code. Railway encrypts all environment variables at rest and injects them securely at runtime.

Railway provides a free subdomain for every deployment, but you will likely want to use your own custom domain. Go to the 'Settings' tab and add your domain name. Railway automatically provisions SSL certificates through Let's Encrypt, so your site will be served over HTTPS. Update your DNS records to point to Railway's servers using the CNAME record they provide. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours but usually completes within minutes.

Railway provides built-in logging and metrics for your deployment. You can view application logs in real-time from the dashboard, which is invaluable for debugging production issues. Railway also supports automatic scaling, so your app can handle traffic spikes without manual intervention. For most early-stage startups, Railway's free tier or Hobby plan is more than sufficient to handle initial traffic.

Deployment can seem straightforward, but production environments often surface issues that did not appear in development. Misconfigured environment variables, missing build dependencies, and server-side rendering issues are common pitfalls. SpringCode specializes in deploying AI-built applications and can ensure your Railway deployment is production-ready with proper monitoring, error tracking, and performance optimization.