A Beginner's Guide to Hosting Next Js on DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean is a popular choice for hosting Next.js applications due to its affordable pricing and easy-to-use interface. Next.js is a popular React framework for building server-rendered and statically generated websites.

To host Next.js on DigitalOcean, you'll need to create a new Droplet, which is DigitalOcean's term for a virtual server. A Droplet can be created in just a few clicks.

DigitalOcean offers a variety of Droplet plans to suit different needs, including a $5/month plan that's perfect for small projects or personal websites. This plan includes 1 CPU core, 512 MB of RAM, and 30 GB of SSD storage.

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To set up DigitalOcean, you'll first need to create a new droplet. This can be done by logging in or signing up for a new account, and then clicking on the Create drop-down menu and selecting the Droplets link.

Select the Ubuntu operating system for your server, as it's a popular choice for Next.js development. Choose the $5 per month standard plan, which provides plenty of computing power to get started.

Choose the data center region for your server, which should be the physical location closest to your target audience. This will ensure faster load times and a better user experience.

In the Authentication section, select the Password option and enter a strong root password for your server. This password will be used to initially SSH into your server.

You can also choose a hostname for your server, which will give it a name to remember it by. This can be useful for identifying your server in the DigitalOcean control panel.

To complete the initial configuration process, you'll need to log into the server, set up SSH access, and create a basic firewall. This will ensure your server is secure and ready for use.

Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a Droplet on DigitalOcean:

To host your Next.js app on DigitalOcean, you'll first need to set up a domain name. You can purchase a domain name from a registrar like Namecheap or GoDaddy, but DigitalOcean doesn't offer this service.

DigitalOcean does provide a DNS hosting service, which makes it easy to configure a domain name with their servers. You'll need to add NS records for the domain on DigitalOcean's systems, but you'll only be adding A records, which map an IPv4 address to a domain name.

To configure DigitalOcean DNS for your domain, navigate to the DigitalOcean website, open the Create drop-down menu, and click the Domains/DNS link. Enter your domain name and click the Add Domain button, then create two A records for your domain.

Here are the nameservers you'll need to update to point to DigitalOcean's servers:

After updating the nameservers, it may take up to a few hours for the changes to propagate. Once this is complete, you should have a domain pointing to your DigitalOcean server.

To secure your website with SSL certificates, you'll need to install Certbot on your server. This involves adding a repository, updating the package list, and installing the Certbot package.

To set up a domain name, you'll need to purchase one from a domain name registrar, such as Namecheap or GoDaddy.

You'll also need to setup DNS (Domain Name System) records for your domain by using a DNS hosting service like DigitalOcean.

DigitalOcean provides a DNS hosting service, but you can't purchase a domain name from them. You'll need to update the nameservers used by your domain registrar to point to DigitalOcean's nameservers instead.

To do this, you'll need to sign in to your domain registrar account and click on the domain you want to update. Then, select Custom DNS from the dropdown menu and enter the following nameservers: ns1.digitalocean.com, ns2.digitalocean.com, and ns3.digitalocean.com.

It may take some time for the name server changes to propagate, usually around 30 minutes to a few hours. This process involves your domain registrar communicating the changes with your ISP, which caches the new nameservers for quick site connections.

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To configure DigitalOcean DNS for your domain, you'll need to add A records, which map an IPv4 address to a domain name. You'll only be adding A records, not NS records.

Here are the steps to add A records for your domain:

Note: Make sure to update your nameservers and add A records correctly to ensure your domain points to the right server.

To start securing your website with SSL certificates, you'll need to install Certbot on your server. First, you'll add the Certbot repository to your machine with a specific command. This will allow you to update the package list to pick up the Certbot repository's package information. The command to update the package list is quite straightforward. You'll need to run this command to ensure you have the latest package information. Once the package list is updated, you can install the Certbot package with another simple command. After installing Certbot, you'll be ready to run it and configure SSL certificates for your website.

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