# Fly.io

This is a step-by-step guide for deploying a Strapi project on Fly.io (opens new window), using the Postgres on Fly (opens new window) integration as persistent storage.

In this guide you are going to:

Create a Strapi project
Create a Fly project
Setup and deploy a Postgres app on Fly
Deploy the Strapi project on Fly
Change the Strapi project and re-deploy on Fly

# Pre-requirements

✋ CAUTION

To follow this guide, you will need an existing Fly.io account (opens new window). For the first sign-up, Fly will require you to register your credit card. This guide will use only free-tier features of Fly, so your card is not going to be charged by following this.

# Install the Fly CLI

Download and install the Fly CLI for your operating system. For more configuration and information, follow Introducing Flyctl • Fly Docs (opens new window).

The flyctl installation will create the symlink to fly, so in terminal both flyctl and fly are interchangeable.

fly auth login

# Create the Strapi project

# Generate the project

Create a new Strapi project using create-strapi-app.

💡 TIP

When you use --quickstart to create a Strapi project, a SQLite database will be used locally in the development environment. We will configure the production environment to use Postgres later in this guide.

# Create the Dockerfile

Fly uses Dockerfiles to deploy its projects. Since Strapi doesn't generate a Dockerfile (opens new window) for the project, you will have to create it. Create a new file Dockerfile in the root of your project.

Simen Daehlin (opens new window) wrote a full guide on using Strapi with Docker at Docker with Strapi V4 (opens new window).

# Create the .dockerignore file

One the root of your project, create another file called .dockerignore. This will indicate what files should be ignored during the Docker build.

# .dockerignore

.tmp/
.cache/
.git/
build/
node_modules/
data/

# Create the Fly project

Time to create a new Fly project (opens new window) inside of the Strapi root folder.

fly launch

Follow the instructions on the screen, until the Would you like to setup a Postgresql database now? is prompted.

? App Name (leave blank to use an auto-generated name): 
Automatically selected personal organization
? Select region: ams (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Created app bold-haze-733 in organization personal
Wrote config file fly.toml

# Setup the Postgres project

You will be prompted Would you like to setup a Postgresql database now?. If you select Yes, Fly will create a separate Postgres project and attach it to your Strapi project. If you have a separate Postgres instance or you want to configure it later, select No and read further Postgres on Fly • Fly Docs (opens new window).

Once you select Yes and select your preferred configuration, the Postgres app is being deployed.

? Would you like to setup a Postgresql database now? Yes
For pricing information visit: https://fly.io/docs/about/pricing/#postgresql-clusters
? Select configuration: Development - Single node, 1x shared CPU, 256MB RAM, 1GB disk
Creating postgres cluster bold-haze-733-db in organization personal
Postgres cluster bold-haze-733-db created

💡 TIP

Explore how you can use the free resources on Fly at About Free Postgres on Fly • Fly Docs (opens new window)

Once the Postgres cluster is deployed, you will be prompted with the configuration details. Make sure to save these, since you won't be able to revisit them.

  Username:    postgres
  Password:    9904f659e488d9bb0572491ef3693c8c5df4345b8e136aed
  Hostname:    bold-haze-733-db.internal
  Proxy Port:  5432
  PG Port: 5433
Save your credentials in a secure place, you won't be able to see them again!

Moreover, Fly will provide you with the credentials that can be used internally in your app. Read more about connecting to Postgres within Fly vs. outside Fly in Connecting to Postgres • Fly Docs (opens new window).

# Attach Postgres to the Strapi app

Fly will automatically attach the Postgres cluster to the Strapi that you just created.

Postgres cluster bold-haze-733-db is now attached to bold-haze-733
The following secret was added to bold-haze-733:
  DATABASE_URL=postgres://bold_haze_733:ppx33flwj9JyM81@top2.nearest.of.bold-haze-733-db.internal:5432/bold_haze_733
Postgres cluster bold-haze-733-db is now attached to bold-haze-733

Fly automatically adds the DATABASE_URL in the environment secrets of the app. The Fly secrets (opens new window) are available to the app when it's running, but to deploy it from your machine, you need to make it available locally first. Edit the .env file of your Strapi project to include the exact same variable.

# .env

DATABASE_URL=postgres://bold_haze_733:ppx33flwj9JyM81@top2.nearest.of.bold-haze-733-db.internal:5432/bold_haze_733

💡 TIP

If you connect to your Strapi database externally, read more about managing Postgres or connecting from outside Fly at Postgres on Fly • Fly Docs (opens new window).

When prompted Would you like to deploy now?, select No. You need to configure the production environment first.

# Configure the production environment

Before deploying the Strapi app, you will need to configure it to be production-ready.

# Configure Fly

The Fly CLI generated the configuration file fly.toml. This file should point the port that Strapi is using. Go to the fly.toml file and change the internal_port row (line 17) to 1337.

[[services]]
  http_checks = []
  internal_port = 1337
  processes = ["app"]
  protocol = "tcp"
  script_checks = []

# Configure Strapi

Because you are using Postgres, you will need to install the pg-connection-string package to split DATABASE_URL and pg as a client.

Inside of the ./config directory, you need to setup a database config file for the production environment. Create a new file ./config/env/production/database.js. This will connect Strapi to the production Postgres database you just created.

// ./config/env/production/database.js

const parse = require("pg-connection-string").parse;
const config = parse(process.env.DATABASE_URL);

module.exports = () => ({
  connection: {
    client: "postgres",
    connection: {
      host: config.host,
      port: config.port,
      database: config.database,
      user: config.user,
      password: config.password,
      ssl: false,
    },
    debug: false,
  },
});

✋ CAUTION

This will configure the production environment to use Postgres. The local development config will remain SQLite and can be found in ./config/database.js. If you want to configure it, read more about Database configuration - Strapi Developer Docs.

# Deploy to fly

Time to deploy your Strapi application to Fly.

fly deploy

This will build the Dockerfile with your project and deploy it to Fly. Follow the URL generated by Fly to get to your admin dashboard.

From here, continue using Strapi as you would normally do, or follow the Quick Start Guide - Strapi Developer Docs.

✋ CAUTION

Strapi does not allow you to use the Content-type Builder in production. To update the content types, you will have to make the changes locally and re-deploy them to Fly.

# Update the Strapi project

Even if you deployed your Strapi app to production, you can still use your local environment as development environment. In order to make the local changes available to production you will need to re-deploy the Fly app.

Following Quick Start Guide - Strapi Developer Docs, start by running Strapi in development mode.

After you make the changes and you are sure they work, re-deploy your app.

fly deploy

# Fly.io

# Pre-requirements

# Install the Fly CLI

# Login to Fly

# Create the Strapi project

# Generate the project

# Create the Dockerfile

# Create the .dockerignore file

# Create the Fly project

# Setup the Postgres project

# Attach Postgres to the Strapi app

# Configure the production environment

# Configure Fly

# Configure Strapi

# Deploy to fly

# Update the Strapi project