--- title: "Deploy a Node.js app to GoDaddy from your terminal, or let your coding agent do it" date: "2026-10-08T11:40:52" url: "https://www.godaddy.com/resources/news/deploy-a-node-js-app-to-godaddy-from-your-terminal-or-let-your-coding-agent-do-it" --- # Deploy a Node.js app to GoDaddy from your terminal, or let your coding agent do it Most of the Node.js apps I see these days weren't written in an IDE, line by line. They were built in Claude Code, Cursor or another coding agent, in a terminal, in an afternoon. Then the builder hits the wall: the app works locally, and now they have to learn something new to get it online. We recently launched [GoDaddy Node.js Hosting](https://www.godaddy.com/hosting/nodejs), and the part I'm most excited about is that you never have to leave the terminal. Everything you can do in the dashboard you can also do with the GoDaddy CLI, gddy, and because gddy ships with an agent skill, your coding agent can run it for you. In this post we'll take a minimal Node.js app (a few lines of Express) and host it on GoDaddy. We'll create a hosting app, upload the code, check it on a private preview, connect a Web Hosting plan, and publish it to a live site anyone can visit. Then we'll set an environment variable, ship an update, and point a domain at it. You can do all of that two ways: 1. **[By hand with the CLI](#part-1-deploy-with-the-gddy-cli)**: about ten commands, most of them status checks, from a folder on your laptop to a public URL with an SSL certificate. 2. **[With a coding agent](#part-2-let-your-coding-agent-deploy-it)**: install one skill, then ask in plain language. Both paths use the same platform and the same commands. The agent just types them for you. Prefer to watch? The five-minute [video walkthrough](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atccdjNnhI0) shows the agent path from an empty folder to a live site on its own domain. **What we'll cover** - [Before you start](#before-you-start) - [Part 1: Deploy with the gddy CLI](#part-1-deploy-with-the-gddy-cli) - [Part 2: Let your coding agent deploy it](#part-2-let-your-coding-agent-deploy-it) - [Good to know](#good-to-know) - [Wrapping up](#wrapping-up) ## Before you start You need: - **A Node.js app.** Anything that runs with npm start: Express, Fastify, Nest, Next.js, Nuxt, Remix, or a static React or Vue build. - **A GoDaddy account.** Previews are free. Publishing to a public URL needs a Web Hosting plan, which you can buy from the CLI (step 6 shows how). - **macOS, Linux or Windows** with a terminal. ### Check that your app is ready There's no Dockerfile or YAML to write. The platform reads your package.json, so make sure it has: Requirement | Why --- | --- name, version and main fields | Identifies the app and its entry point A build script | The platform runs npm run build. No compile step? Use "build": "echo build" A start script | The platform runs npm start and keeps the process running Runtime packages in dependencies | Only dependencies are installed, so anything in devDependencies won't be there at runtime Your server listens on process.env.PORT | The platform assigns the port. A hardcoded port won't receive traffic Here's the minimal Express app I'll deploy in this post: { "name": "hello-gd", "version": "1.0.0", "main": "server.js", "scripts": { "build": "echo build", "start": "node server.js" }, "dependencies": { "express": "^4.21.2" } } const express = require("express"); const app = express(); const port = process.env.PORT || 3000; const greeting = process.env.GREETING || "Hello from GoDaddy Node.js Hosting"; app.get("/", (req, res) => { res.send(`

${greeting}

Node ${process.version}

`); }); app.listen(port, () => console.log(`listening on ${port}`)); The full checklist is in [Node.js app requirements](https://developer.godaddy.com/en/docs/api-users/hosting/app-requirements). ## Part 1: Deploy with the gddy CLI Here's the whole deploy by hand, from installing the CLI to a live URL. Each step shows the commands to run and what you should see back. ### 1. Install the CLI gddy is a single binary for macOS, Linux and Windows, and it installs with one command. On macOS or Linux: curl -fsSL https://github.com/godaddy/cli/releases/latest/download/install.sh | bash On Windows (PowerShell): irm https://github.com/godaddy/cli/releases/latest/download/install.ps1 | iex The installer puts gddy in ~/.local/bin and doesn't touch your PATH, so add it if your shell can't find the command: export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH" gddy --version This post uses gddy 0.2.25. Run the install command again any time to update. ### 2. Sign in You don't have to sign in ahead of time. The first command that needs your account opens a browser window for you to log in, and later commands open it again when they need a new permission (the CLI asks for permissions one at a time, as each command needs them). That works fine; you'll just approve a few consent screens as you go. If you'd rather approve everything once, request all the hosting and checkout permissions up front: gddy auth login \ --scope hosting.application:create --scope hosting.application:read \ --scope hosting.source:write --scope hosting.source:read \ --scope hosting.subscription:read --scope hosting.subscription:write \ --scope hosting.deployment:execute \ --scope hosting.secret:read --scope hosting.secret:write \ --scope hosting.log:read \ --scope shopping.catalog:read --scope shopping.checkout:execute --scope shopping.order:read That's one browser window, one consent screen, and you're set for the rest of this post. Run gddy auth scope to see every permission and which commands need it, and gddy auth status to check who you're signed in as. > **Deploying from CI?** Use a [Personal Access Token](https://developer.godaddy.com/en/personal-access-token) instead of browser sign-in. Set it in the GDDY_PAT environment variable and the CLI uses it automatically. ### 3. Create the app Every deploy starts with a hosting app. It holds your code, its preview and production environments, and its settings. Create one and give it a name: gddy hosting app create --app-type NODEJS --name hello-gd Creating an app is asynchronous, so this returns an operation ID right away. Poll it until the status is COMPLETED, then note the app ID: gddy hosting operation get --operation-id app: {"id":"NODEJS-abc123xyz","status":"ACTIVE", ...} operationId: 969pjmd status: COMPLETED In my test this was already COMPLETED on the first check, about 15 seconds after I ran create. ### 4. Zip and upload your code From your project folder, zip everything except node_modules (the platform installs dependencies itself) and any .env files (secrets go in a separate step, below): zip -r app.zip . -x "node_modules/*" -x ".env*" -x ".git/*" Make sure package.json sits at the top of the zip, not inside a wrapper folder. Then upload it: gddy hosting source upload --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --file ./app.zip gddy hosting source status --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --import-id When the import reports COMPLETED, your app is built and running on its **preview**. Mine took about 20 seconds. ### 5. Check your preview Ask the CLI for your app's details. The urls field has two addresses: a private preview, and the public URL your app will use once it's published. gddy hosting app get --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz id: NODEJS-abc123xyz name: hello-gd status: ACTIVE urls: {"preview":"https://host.godaddy.com/nodejs/projects/abc123xyz/preview","publish":"https://abc123xyz.c39.airoapp.ai"} Open the preview link to see your app. The preview is private: it only opens for you, signed in to your GoDaddy account. You get two preview apps for free, with no plan and no credit card. To confirm the app started, read its logs: gddy hosting log list --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz TIMESTAMP LEVEL MESSAGE ------------------------ ----- ---------------------- 2026-10-07T16:13:17.419Z INFO > hello-gd@1.0.0 start 2026-10-07T16:13:17.419Z INFO > node server.js 2026-10-07T16:13:17.635Z INFO listening on 20010 That port is the one the platform assigned through process.env.PORT. ### 6. Connect a Web Hosting plan Publishing needs a Web Hosting plan with a free app slot. Economy includes 1 published app, Deluxe 10 and Ultimate 25, with no per-request, per-GB or build-minute charges. You attach an app to a plan once; later deploys skip this step. **If you already have a Web Hosting plan**, list your plans and pick one with availableSlots above 0: gddy hosting subscription list --hosting-product=WEB_HOSTING totalAvailableSlots: 10 items: {"tier":"DELUXE","slotLimit":10,"attachedCount":0,"availableSlots":10,"status":"ACTIVE","subscriptionId":"648f29a6-...", ...} **If you don't have one yet**, buy one from the terminal. Search the catalog, create a checkout, review the price and agreements it shows you, then complete it: gddy shopping catalog search --category webHosting gddy shopping checkout create --item hosting-economyapi:1mo gddy shopping checkout complete --agree checkout create doesn't place an order. It shows the price, the saved payment method it will use, and the agreement you're accepting, so you can review them first. Once the order completes, the new plan shows up in gddy hosting subscription list. Then attach the app to the plan: gddy hosting subscription attach --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --subscription-id ### 7. Publish With a plan attached, promote the build you just checked on preview to production, then check the deployment until it reports COMPLETED: gddy hosting deployment publish --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz gddy hosting deployment get --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --deployment-id When the deployment is COMPLETED, open the publish URL from step 5. In my test that took about 30 seconds, and the app was live on HTTPS behind a CDN and web application firewall, with nothing extra to configure. curl https://abc123xyz.c39.airoapp.ai

Hello from GoDaddy Node.js Hosting

Node v22.23.3

That's it: from a folder on your laptop to a public URL in about ten commands. ### 8. Add environment variables and secrets Secrets are set separately for preview and production, encrypted, and never returned by the API. Set one for production, then restart so the app picks it up: gddy hosting secret create --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz \ --name GREETING --value "Hello from production" --variant PUBLISH gddy hosting app restart --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --variant PUBLISH Leave off --variant and the secret goes to preview. Because the two are separate, you can point preview at test credentials and production at real ones. ### 9. Ship an update To deploy a change, zip and upload again to the **same app**, check the preview, then publish: zip -r app.zip . -x "node_modules/*" -x ".env*" -x ".git/*" gddy hosting source upload --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --file ./app.zip gddy hosting deployment publish --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz The live site keeps serving the old version until you publish, and your production secrets carry over. In my test an update went from upload to live in under 40 seconds. To read production logs, add --variant PUBLISH: gddy hosting log list --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --variant PUBLISH --level ERROR **Prefer GitHub to zip files?** Create the app from your repository in the [Node.js Hosting dashboard](https://setup.godaddy.com/nodejs), then pull a branch into preview whenever you're ready to ship: gddy hosting source github --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --repo OWNER/REPO --branch main Pushing to GitHub doesn't redeploy on its own, so run this, then publish as usual. ### 10. Use your own domain When you're ready for your own domain, attach it to the app. If the domain is registered at GoDaddy, the DNS records are set up for you. If it's registered somewhere else, the domain's details show exactly which records to add at your DNS provider. Either way, the SSL certificate is issued automatically. gddy hosting domain attach --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --hostname example.com gddy hosting domain get --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --domain-id See [Attach a custom domain](https://developer.godaddy.com/en/docs/api-users/hosting/attach-domain) for the details. Don't have a domain yet? You can buy one without leaving the terminal. Check that the name is available, get a quote that shows the price and the agreement, then register it using the quote's token: gddy domain available example.com gddy domain quote example.com gddy domain purchase --quote-token --agree --confirm See [Register a domain](https://developer.godaddy.com/en/docs/api-users/domains/register) for the full flow. ## Part 2: Let your coding agent deploy it If you built your app in Claude Code, Cursor, Codex or Windsurf, you don't need to memorize any of the commands above. gddy ships with an **agent skill**: a short instruction file that tells your agent how to use the CLI, how to look up any command it hasn't seen (gddy guide hosting walks through the whole deploy), and when to stop and ask you first. The agent runs gddy on your machine, signed in as you, so it can only do what you can do. ### 1. Install the CLI and the skill Complete [step 1](#1-install-the-cli) above to install gddy, then add the skill to your agent. **Claude Code:** claude plugin marketplace add godaddy/cli claude plugin install gddy@godaddy **Cursor** (or Codex, Windsurf, OpenCode and other agents that support skills): npx skills add godaddy/cli --skill gddy --agent cursor Swap cursor for codex, windsurf or opencode as needed. This installs the skill into the current project; run it from your app's folder. You can sign in ahead of time with the gddy auth login command from [step 2](#2-sign-in), or let the agent's first command open the browser for you. ### 2. Ask for a preview Open your agent in your app's folder and tell it to: > Deploy this app to GoDaddy Node.js Hosting with the gddy CLI. Create an app called hello-gd-agent, upload this project to it, and give me the preview link. Here's what Claude Code did in my test, in about a minute and a half. It loaded the skill, read the CLI help, and checked that I didn't already have an app with that name before creating one: gddy hosting --help gddy hosting app list --app-type NODEJS --filter "name=='hello-gd-agent'" gddy hosting app create --app-type NODEJS --name hello-gd-agent gddy hosting operation get --operation-id zip -r /tmp/hello-gd-agent-source.zip package.json package-lock.json server.js gddy hosting source upload --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --file /tmp/hello-gd-agent-source.zip gddy hosting source status --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --import-id gddy hosting app get --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz Then it handed back the preview link and stopped. It told me it hadn't published because attaching a plan "may involve a purchase", and it would only do that if I asked. ### 3. Go live **If you already have a Web Hosting plan:** > Looks good. Attach it to one of my existing Web Hosting plans that has a free slot, then publish it and give me the live URL. gddy hosting subscription list --hosting-product WEB_HOSTING --fields all gddy hosting subscription attach --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --subscription-id gddy hosting deployment publish --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz gddy hosting deployment get --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --deployment-id curl -sS https://abc123xyz.c38.airoapp.ai/ It picked a plan with free slots, skipped one that had lapsed and one about to expire, published, and loaded the live URL to check it before replying. About a minute and a half again. **If you don't have a plan yet:** > I don't have a Web Hosting plan yet. Use the gddy CLI to show me which plans I can buy and what they cost. The agent looked up the right commands, then searched the catalog: gddy search hosting plan gddy guide shopping gddy shopping catalog search --category webHosting --limit 100 --json It came back with a table of the three plans, their prices, and how many apps each one can publish. Then it stopped and said that when I picked one, it would create a checkout and show me the total, the agreement and the payment method before placing the order. That's the skill at work: it tells agents to confirm with you before any purchase and to link the terms you're agreeing to. Once you approve, the agent runs the same checkout, attach and publish commands from Part 1. ### 4. Keep going From here, ask for whatever you need in plain language: > Set GREETING to "Hello from Claude" in production. gddy hosting secret list --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --variant PUBLISH gddy hosting secret create --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --variant PUBLISH --name GREETING --value "Hello from Claude" gddy hosting app restart --app-id NODEJS-abc123xyz --variant PUBLISH curl -sS https://abc123xyz.c38.airoapp.ai/ It knew to restart production so the app would load the new value, and it noted that preview still had the old greeting in case I wanted the two to match. "Ship my latest changes" and "show me the production errors from the last hour" work the same way. > **Tip:** Claude Code asks before it runs each shell command. To skip the prompts for this CLI only, allow Bash(gddy *) in your project's permission settings. Purchases still pause for your confirmation either way, because the skill asks before it buys anything. To see the whole agent path in one take, here's Claude Code building a small site from an empty folder, deploying it to preview, buying a Web Hosting plan, publishing, and putting it on its own domain: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atccdjNnhI0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atccdjNnhI0) ## Good to know - **The preview link is private.** It opens only for you, signed in to your GoDaddy account. Publish when you want to share it. - **Apps run on Node.js 22.** Setting a different version in engines in package.json doesn't change it. - **Preview and production share one database.** Preview is for checking your code, not an isolated copy of your data. Be careful with migrations or test writes on preview. - **Redeploy to the same app.** Upload a new zip to your existing app ID rather than creating a new app for each change. A new app is a new URL and, once published, takes another plan slot. ## Wrapping up Whether you type the commands or your agent does, it's the same few steps: create an app, upload your code, check the preview, attach a plan, publish. No servers, no Dockerfile, no YAML. And because Node.js Hosting is included with Web Hosting, there's no meter running behind it. To go further: - [Deploy a Node.js app](https://developer.godaddy.com/en/docs/api-users/hosting/workflows/deploy-nodejs-app): the full end-to-end guide - [Node.js app requirements](https://developer.godaddy.com/en/docs/api-users/hosting/app-requirements) - [GoDaddy CLI setup](https://developer.godaddy.com/en/docs/api-users/cli/set-up) and the [agent skill](https://developer.godaddy.com/en/docs/api-users/cli/agent-skill) - [Hosting REST API reference](https://developer.godaddy.com/en/docs/references/rest/hosting), if you'd rather call the API directly from your own pipeline - [GoDaddy Node.js Hosting](https://www.godaddy.com/hosting/nodejs) I'd love to hear what you ship. And if something in this walkthrough doesn't match what you see, tell us; that feedback goes straight to the team building it.